Hebrews Highlights March 2018

Henry Neufeld discusses Repentance in Hebrews 6:4–6.

Hebrews at Various Conferences

The book of Hebrews was/will be featured in several papers at various meetings in the first part of 2018. Here are the papers that I was able to identify:

MIDWEST REGIONAL MEETING
Saint Mary’s College – Notre Dame, Indiana

Saturday, February 3, 10:30–11:30
HEBREWS & CATHOLIC EPISTLES (A)
Jared Calaway, Illinois Wesleyan University
On the Ignorance of the Audience: A Modest Proposal for the Letter to the
Hebrews
"Several scholars have inquired into understanding the audience in Hebrews
including: location, ethnicity, and social issues of persecution and malaise.
Additionally, there have been occasional considerations of the audience’s
knowledge of the biblical tradition, usually couched in terms of whether
they could follow the author’s complex presentation. What demands,
however, does the author make on the audience’s knowledge? What
knowledge is assumed or assumed lacking? Looking at these questions, I
contend that the audience likely knew the general outlines of the biblical
accounts, but were fuzzy on the contextual details, and the author takes
advantage of this in his* hermeneutics."

SOUTHEASTERN REGIONAL MEETING
Atlanta Marriott Buckhead Hotel & Resort - Atlanta, Georgia

Friday, March 2, 6:00–8:00
NEW TESTAMENT I
Christopher T. Holmes, McAfee School of Theology Fear of Death in the Epistle to the Hebrew

EVANGELICAL THEOLOGICAL SOCIETY SOUTHWEST REGIONAL
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary-Houston Campus

Friday, March 2, 4:30–5:10
Boyd Luter, The King’s University, Southlake, Texas
Israel’s Land Promise and Hebrews: ‘The End’ or ‘On Hold’—as Jesus Predicted?” 

WESLEYAN THEOLOGICAL SOCIETY ANNUAL MEETING
Pentecostal Theological Seminary - Cleveland, Tennessee

Saturday, March 10, 8:30–10:00
BIBLICAL STUDIES
Suzanne "Brett" DeMond
"Finishing on the Right Side of History: Group Borders in the Book of Hebrews"

CENTRAL STATES REGIONAL MEETING
Stoney Creek Hotel & Conference Center - Columbia, Missouri

Monday, March 12, 1:00–3:00
NEW TESTAMENT III
Matthew C. Easter, Missouri Baptist University
“Root of Bitterness Defiling Many: An Intertextual Reading of Sexually Immoral Esau in Hebrews 12:15-17”

EVANGELICAL THEOLOGICAL SOCIETY MIDWEST REGIONAL
Grace Bible College, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Friday, March 23, 8:00–9:30
J. Michael McKay, Cedarville University
"Reevaluation of Iesous in Hebrews: Joshua or Jesus?"

EVANGELICAL THEOLOGICAL SOCIETY EASTERN REGIONAL
Lancaster Bible College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Friday, April 6, 1:00
Timothy Bertolet, Faith Bible Fellowship Church, York, PA
Why Moses? Re-Evaluating the Reference to Moses in Heb. 3:1-6

Two New Books on Hebrews 12

I received an email today from ISD announcing two forthcoming books on Hebrews 12:18–29:

Lukas Stolz. Der Höhepunkt des Hebräerbriefs: Hebräer 12,18-29 und seine Bedeutung für die Struktur und die Theologie des Hebräerbriefs
In der Forschung zum Hebräerbrief wurde die besondere strukturelle und theologische Bedeutung von Hebr 12,18-29 bereits mehrfach postuliert. Lukas Stolz geht zum ersten Mal ausführlich der Frage nach, ob bzw. inwiefern der Abschnitt sowohl strukturell als auch theologisch als Höhepunkt des Schreibens ad Hebraeos gelten kann.Nachdem der Autor wichtige Einleitungsfragen zum Hebräerbrief behandelt, erfolgt die Exegese von Hebr 12,18-29, in der er sich den zahlreichen Auslegungsfragen zum theologisch äusserst dichten Abschnitt detailliert und mit verschiedenen Exkursen stellt.Im auswertenden Schlussteil der Arbeit werden die literarischen, rhetorischen und inhaltlichen Hinweise für den Höhepunktcharakter von Hebr 12,18-29 ausführlich dargelegt. Aufgrund eines Vergleichs von Hebr 12,18-29 mit den Vorgaben der antiken Rhetoriklehrer für einen guten Redeschluss, argumentiert Lukas Stolz, dass der Abschnitt auch die peroratio des Hebrärbriefs ist.

Christopher T. Holmes. The Function of Sublime Rhetoric in Hebrews: A Study in Hebrews 12:18-29
In this study, Christopher T. Holmes provides a focused analysis of the rhetorical and stylistic features of Hebrews 12:18-29, their intended effects upon the audience, and the role of the passage in the larger argument of Hebrews. He draws extensively from the first-century treatise, De Sublimitate, arguing that it provides a significant context for interpreting the rhetoric and style of Hebrews. Although New Testament scholars have drawn significantly from the ancient handbooks of Aristotle, Quintilian, and Cicero in the last several decades, this is the first monograph-length study to use De Sublimitate as the primary analytical tool for New Testament interpretation. The result of the study shows that the author's efforts to move the readers "beyond persuasion" shed new light on the thought and genre of Hebrews. Christopher T. Holmes offers both exegetical insights about Hebrews and an additional way to think about the distinctiveness of early Christian rhetoric.

According to the email, both books will be out on May 1. As typical, the prices are outrageous—and for paperbacks no less.

Assembling the Cloud of Witnesses

Heythrop College University of London

Centre for Textual Studies

Assembling the Cloud of Witnesses

Essays in Honour of Marie Isaacs (1936 - 2016)

Friday 9 March 2018 at 10.30am

The Heythrop Centre for Textual Studies presents a one-day colloquium in honour of Rev. Dr. Marie Isaacs, a New Testament scholar, the author of The Concept of Spirit: A Study of Pneuma in Hellenistic Judaism and Its Bearing on the New Testament (1976); Sacred Space: An Approach to the Theology of the Epistle to the Hebrews (1992); Reading Hebrews and James: A Literary and Theological Commentary (2002). Marie taught at Heythrop for 30 years, becoming head of the department of Biblical Studies and serving as college Vice-Principal. Alongside her academic career, Marie was an ordained minister and one of the first women ministers in the Baptist Church.

The programme will include contributions by Marie’s former colleagues from Heythrop and King’s College as well as a new generation of Heythrop-associated scholars, paying tribute to Marie’s scholarly work and exploring various areas of biblical studies. The list of confirmed speakers includes:

Nick King, The Spirit in John's Gospel: A tribute to Marie Isaacs

Jenny Dines, Witnesses Under a Cloud: who and what are Hypocrites in the New Testament?

Ann Jeffers, The Case of the Clever Ancestress: the afterlives of Sarah in Hebrews, Philo and the Testament of Abraham

Bridget Gilfillan Upton, Neither History nor Fiction: John's Gospel as Persuasion/Propaganda

Mary Mills, Literary Violence in the Book of Revelation

Sean Ryan, Sacred Space in the Apocalypse: The "shrine of the tent of witness in heaven" (Rev 15:5)

Jonathan Norton, The Rhetorical Purpose of the Hypocrite in Romans 1-3

Alison Fincham, In Training for the Heavenly City: Hebrews 12:1-13

Starting at 10 for 10.30am. Registration fee of £15 will be charged to cover the cost of catering.

Register at: https://shop.heythrop.ac.uk/conferences-and-events/academia-and-outreach/the-centre-for-textual-studies/assembling-the-cloud-of-witnesses

Conference organisers: Dr Jonathan Norton, Dr Sean Ryan (Heythrop Centre for Textual Studies)

Whitfield Reviews Dyer, Suffering in the Face of Death

Bryan J. Whitfield reviews Bryan R. Dyer, Suffering in the Face of Death: The Epistle to the Hebrews and Its Context of Situation for RBL.

I have a review of Dyer's book forthcoming in the June issue of the Horizons journal. I will publish the review once it has appeared in print. Since I was constrained by a word limit, you will find Whitfield's review to be more thorough.

Hebrews Highlights February 2018

Phillip Long continues his series on Hebrews:
     Hebrews 7:1–3 – Who Was Melchizedek?
     Hebrews 8–9 – Old Israel, New Church?
     Hebrews 9:11–22 – The Christ, the Unblemished Sacrifice
     Hebrews 10:32–39 – Recall the Former Days
     Hebrews 10:39 – We Are Not of Those Who Shrink Back
     Hebrews 12:1–3 – Running the Race
     Hebrews 12:18–29 – Marching to Zion
    
Ken Schenck has completed his series on Concentrated Hebrews:
     Hebrews 4:14–5:11
     Hebrews 5:12–6:20
     Hebrews 7:1–28
     Hebrews 8:1–10:18
     Hebrews 10:19–11:40
     Hebrews 12:1–29
     Hebrews 13:1–25

Mike Heiser answers questions about the book of Hebrews:
     Hebrews Q&A Part 1
     Hebrews Q&A Part 2

David deSilva preaches a sermon on Hebrews 12:28–13:16: "Going to Serve Christ"
He preaches another sermon on Matthew 4:1–11 and Hebrews 4:12–16: "The Divine Source Code"

Austin Duncan explains how you can Preach Like Hebrews.

Stephen Rankin preaches a sermon on The Peaceful Fruit of Righteousness based on Hebrews 12:7, 11.

Henry Neufeld offers A Brief Note on Hebrews and Structure.

Hebrews Highlights January 2018

Mike Heiser has finished his series on Hebrews in his Naked Bible:
     Hebrews 11
     Hebrews 12
     Hebrews 13

Ken Schenck offers his notes on "Concentrated Hebrews":
     Hebrews 1:1–4
     Hebrews 1:5–14
     Hebrews 2:1–18
     Hebrews 3:1–4:13

Phillip Long has begun a new series on Hebrews:
     Hebrews 1 – Worship Jesus, the Firstborn
     Hebrews 1 – Jesus and the Angels
     Hebrews 2:1–4 – Do Not Drift Away
     Hebrews 3:1–6 – Moses, the Servant
     Hebrews 3:7–19 – An Exhortation to Righteousness
     Hebrews 4:14–16 – Jesus as High Priest
     Hebrews 4:16 – Boldly, Before the Throne of Grace   
     Hebrews 5:5–10 – Why Does Hebrews Call Jesus a Priest?    
     Hebrews 5:1–10 – The Great High Priesthood
     Hebrews 6:1–3 – Leaving Elementary Teachings Behind
     Hebrews 6:4–12 – It Is Impossible (Part 1)
     Hebrews 6:4–12 – It Is Impossible (Part 2)

Review of Ribbens, Levitical Sacrifice and Heavenly Cult in Hebrews

A slightly edited version of this review has appeared in Horizons: The Journal of the CollegeTheological Society 44.2 (December 2017): 513–14. Copyright: College Theology Society 2017. Used by permission. 

Levitical Sacrifice and Heavenly Cult in Hebrews. By Benjamin J. Ribbens. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2016. Pp. XVII +297. $140.00.

In assessing Hebrews’ understanding of the relationship between the old covenant sacrifices and Christ’s new covenant sacrifice, many scholars conclude that Hebrews takes a negative view of the old covenant cult. Ribbens challenges this position by contending that Hebrews affirms the efficacy of the old covenant sacrifices while also asserting the superiority of Christ’s sacrifice.

Chapter 1 sets forth the need for this study. Some scholars have negatively evaluated Hebrews’ theology of sacrifice, claiming that Hebrews’ argument is self-contradictory and/or intentionally misinterprets the Septuagint. Ribbens’ survey of various proposals concerning the relationship between the old and new covenant sacrifices reveals a lack of scholarly consensus regarding Hebrews’ understanding of the efficacy of these sacrifices. This study attempts to remedy these defects.

In chapters 2–3 Ribbens attempts to situate Hebrews within its socio-religious context. Chapter 2 examines Second Temple Judaism’s understanding of the efficacy of sacrifice. Sacrifices were meant primarily to provide atonement, forgiveness of sins, and purification. Chapter 3 then considers the concept of a heavenly cult in Second Temple Judaism. The chapter focuses particularly on texts that describe a heavenly temple in which God dwells and angels function as priests. The earthly cult derived its legitimacy by properly imitating the heavenly cult.

Chapters 4–6 turn to an examination of Hebrews itself. In chapter 4, after dealing with the obligatory introductory matters, Ribbens turns to consider the possible conceptual background for Hebrews’ notion of a heavenly tabernacle. He rejects the Platonic/Philonic tradition in favor of the Jewish mystical apocalyptic tradition as the more likely background for Hebrews’ thought. After investigating several key passages in Hebrews, Ribbens contends that Hebrews follows a Day of Atonement pattern. Christ’s sacrifice is a process that begins with his passion on earth, but is not completed until Christ rises from the dead, ascends through the heavens, and enters the heavenly Holy of Holies as the heavenly high priest who offers himself as a sacrifice through the presentation of his own blood. Since the earthly tabernacle derived its validity by being modeled after the heavenly sanctuary, the same thing could be said about earthly sacrifices since they are patterned after Christ’s heavenly sacrifice.

Chapter 5 examines Hebrews’ view of the old covenant sacrifices. They are efficacious in that they provide atonement and forgiveness of sins. However, the author also critiques them for what they could not accomplish. They could not provide access to God, perfection, or redemption. Chapter 6, by contrast, enumerates the many salvific benefits that Christ’s new covenant sacrifice did accomplish. These benefits include atonement, forgiveness, purification, perfection, redemption, removal of sin, and cleansing of the conscience.

In chapter 7, in light of the results achieved in his study, Ribbens returns to evaluate the proposals surveyed in chapter 1 highlighting their inadequacies to account for the relationship between the old and new covenant sacrifices. He concludes the chapter by arguing that his study supports a more positive view of the old covenant sacrifices as sacramental, christological types. The old covenant sacrifices were external rituals which only derived their efficacy to achieve forgiveness and atonement by being linked proleptically to the efficacious sacrifice of Christ.

Ribbens writes with lucid prose and presents a well-crafted argument. His survey of the various scholarly proposals is clear and concise. He cogently develops his argument and keeps it tightly focused without getting sidetracked with peripheral issues. When assessing various interpretive options, he represents the views of others fairly while also charitably critiquing those that are inadequate. Ribben’s main contribution to the scholarly discussion of Hebrews is to get us to reconsider Hebrews’ attitude toward the old covenant sacrifices. Hebrews’ argument regarding sacrifices is neither self-contradictory nor does it mishandle the interpretation of the Septuagint. Hebrews instead offers a synkrisis which compares good versus better. While Hebrews views the old covenant sacrifices positively, it regards them as incomplete and anticipatory of the perfect, singular sacrifice of Christ which renders their observance no longer necessary. This monograph is more suited for graduate-level work and would be a valuable addition to any theological library.

New Dissertation on Social Identity in Hebrews

I stumbled across this dissertation today. I am adding it to the dissertations page:

Kissi, Seth. “Social Identity in Hebrews and the Akan Community in Ghana.” Ph.D. diss., University of Pretoria, 2017.

Two New Articles on Hebrews in Novum Testamentum

Two new articles on Hebrews have appeared in the latest issue of Novum Testamentum:

Baugh, S. M. “Greek Periods in the Book of Hebrews.” Novum Testamentum 60.1 (2018): 24–44.

"It is typical for students of the book of Hebrews to comment on its long, complex sentences or “periods” as evidence of the author’s literary and rhetorical skills. This essay surveys ancient and modern views on the Greek period and finds that they are typically shorter, antithetical or “rounded” statements which may or may not coincide with a grammatical sentence. Example periods in Hebrews are then discussed along with observations on other, supporting literary features of the epistle in those places where the author occasionally employs a periodic style."

Doran, Robert. “The Persuasive Arguments at Play in Heb 2:11 and 7:12.” Novum Testamentum 60.1 (2018): 45–54.

"The phrase ‘from one’ in Heb 2:11 does not refer to some common ancestor or creator, but is the commonplace that common predication connects those so predicated. At Heb 7:12, the author draws upon the accepted connection in the Mediterranean world between form of government and worldview/religion—to change one is to change the other—and so the argument is rhetorically persuasive."

Hebrews Highlight December 2017

Mike Heiser has posted his latest podcasts on Hebrews 8 and Hebrews 9 and Hebrews 10.

New Article on the Sabbath Rest in Hebrews

The following article has just appeared in NTS:

Langziner, Daniel. “‘A Sabbath Rest for the People of God’: (Heb 4.9): Hebrews and Philo on the Seventh Day of Creation.” New Testament Studies 64.1 (2017): 94–107.

Abstract:

"This article examines the background of the concept of Sabbath rest (σαββατισμός) in Heb 4.1–11. Special attention is given to the relation between God's rest and God's activity, which seemingly are in tension with each other: on the one hand, the author's argument is based on the assumption that God entered his rest at the seventh day of creation and stopped working forever (4.10); on the other hand, there is a clear reference to God's works after creation (3.9–10). A comparison with Philo's explanations of the seventh day of creation, however, reveals that for a Jewish Middle Platonist this tension does not appear to be a problem because rest and activity in God are two sides of the same coin. It is argued that this background helps to explain Hebrews’ concept of Sabbath rest. A concluding outlook shows that the suggested Middle Platonic understanding of Hebrews 4 fits well the context of the epistle as a whole, as the same coexistence of rest and activity can also be found in Hebrews 7 in relation to Jesus’ intercession in the heavenly tabernacle."

Church on the Temple

A link to the following dissertation has been added to the dissertations page:

Church, Philip Arthur Frederick. “Wilderness Tabernacle and Eschatological Temple: A Study in Temple Symbolism in Hebrews in Light of Attitudes to the Temple in the Literature of Middle Judaism.” Ph.D. diss., University of Otago, 2012.

HT: Cliff Kvidahl

Hebrews Highlights November 2017

Mike Heiser continues his podcast series on Hebrews. Episode 184 is on Hebrews 5:1–6:20. Episode 185 is on Hebrews 7.

David deSilva preaches a sermon on Hebrews 12:1–3: Who's Watching You Run?

Spencer Robinson comments on The "Firstborn" Enrolled in Mount Zion with the Consuming Fire (Hebrews 12:18–29).

Jesus' Indestructible Life

A new article has appeared which discusses Jesus' indestructible life:

Kibbe, Michael. “‘You are a Priest Forever!’ Jesus’ Indestructible Life in Hebrews 7:16.” Horizons in Biblical Theology 39.2 (2017): 134–55.

Abstract:
"Hebrews 7:16 suggests that Jesus entered the priesthood by virtue of his “indestructible life.” But what sort of life is that? How and when did he obtain it? If it pertains to his resurrected-human life, was he therefore not a priest prior to that moment (including, in particular, during his death on the cross)? If it pertains to his divine life (thus he possesses it always), in what sense could the man Jesus have actually died? I suggest that the author has neither deity nor resurrection in view as the source of Jesus’ indestructible life; rather, the point is merely that Jesus’ perpetual existence undergirds the oath that immediately follows in 7:17. However, Hebrews as a whole requires that we envision that existence in relation to both Jesus’ deity and his resurrection, and I argue, furthermore, that the two cohere via the divine Son’s agency in his own resurrection."

New Books and Essays on Hebrews

Having recently returned from the annual SBL conference, I came across a few new resources on Hebrews.

First, Concordia has come out with a commentary on Hebrews by John Kleinig:

"This commentary is built on the common agreement that this book is a written sermon by an unknown speaker. John Kleinig, the author of this Concordia Commentary, proposes an interpretation of the text that uses a new kind of liturgical rhetoric, a new method of discourse analysis, and a new consideration of the context and purpose of the homily."

Second, InterVarsity Press has come out with the latest installment in the Reformation Commentary on Scripture series with its volume on Hebrews-James by Ronald Rittgers:

"In this volume of the Reformation Commentary on Scripture, church historian and theologian Ronald K. Rittgers guides readers through a diversity of early modern commentary on both Hebrews and James. Readers will hear from familiar voices as well as lesser-known figures from a variety of theological traditions, including Lutherans, Reformed, Radicals, Anglicans, and Roman Catholics.

Drawing on a variety of resources—including commentaries, sermons, treatises, and confessions—much of which appears here for the first time in English, this volume provides resources for contemporary preachers, enables scholars to better understand the depth and breadth of Reformation commentary, and helps all who seek the assurance and conviction that is found in Christ alone."







Third, GlossaHouse has produced a festschrift for Donald Hagner, entitled Treasures New & Old. It contains a couple of essays on Hebrews:

Schreiner, Thomas R. "Another Look at the Warnings in Hebrews: A Response to Critics." Pages 231–48.

Mackie, Scott D. "Experiential Cultic Soteriology and the Origins of Hebrews' High Priest Christology." Pages 249–67.

Hebrews at SBL

The annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature will be held on November 18–21, 2017 in Boston, MA. The following are sessions relevant to the book of Hebrews.

P17-204

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Institute for Biblical Research
11/17/2017
1:00 PM to 3:15 PM
Room: Back Bay C (Second Level) - Sheraton Boston Hotel (SB)Theme: Scripture and Doctrine Seminar
The Scripture and Doctrine Seminar (SADS) focuses on the intersection of Scripture and Doctrine. It explores how Scripture leads to the formulation of doctrine and how doctrine illuminates our reading of the Bible. For further information contact the chair, Benjamin Quinn (bquinn@sebts.edu) and see http://www.stgeorgesonline.com/centre/sads/ and https://www.ibr-bbr.org/ (Click on Research Groups). The Seminar is a joint venture between the St. George’s Centre for Biblical and Public Theology and the St. Paul Centre for Biblical Theology.
Benjamin Quinn, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Presiding
Benjamin Quinn, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Welcome (10 min)
Steve Harris, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Hebrews in Historical Theology: The Contours (20 min)
Craig Bartholomew, KLICE, Tyndale House, Cambridge
Creation, the Ongoing Priesthood of Jesus, and Divine Action in Hebrews (15 min)
Gareth Cockerill, Wesley Biblical Seminary
The Present Priesthood of the Son of God (15 min)
Break (3 min)
Luke Stamps, Anderson University
"No One Greater": Hebrews and Classical Christian Theism (15 min)
Scott Hahn, Franciscan University of Steubenville
Covenant, Sacrifice, and Divine Action in Hebrews (15 min)
Break (2 min)
Q & A Panel with Presenters
Discussion (40 min)
Q & A Additional Panelists
Michael Rhodes, Memphis Center for Urban Theological Studies, Panelist
Amy Peeler, Wheaton College, Panelist
Closing Prayer

S18-247

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Space, Place, and Lived Experience in Antiquity
11/18/2017
1:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Room: Tufts (Third Level) - Boston Marriott Copley Place (MCP)Theme: Sanctuary, Space, and Place in Antiquity
Perspectives on sanctuary, space, and place in antiquity.

Kenneth A. Vandergriff, Florida State University
Power, Empire, and Space: Constructing Sanctuary in a First Century CE Church and American Sanctuary Churches (30 min)

S19-124

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Intertextuality in the New Testament
11/19/2017
9:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Room: Republic A (Second Level) - Sheraton Boston Hotel (SB)Theme: Pentateuch in the New Testament

Channing L. Crisler, Anderson University (SC)
Abel as a Protological and Polyvalent Figure in Early Christian Intertextuality (20 min)
Discussion (10 min)

S19-222

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Hebrews
11/19/2017
1:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Room: Beacon H (Third Level) - Sheraton Boston Hotel (SB)Theme: Current Issues in Hebrews
David Moffitt, University of St. Andrews, Presiding
Brad Bitner, Oak Hill College
Dexiosis and the Son in Hebrews 1:3-4: Divine Kingship in Light of Epigraphical and Sculptural Evidence (30 min)
Shawn J. Wilhite, California Baptist University
“To which of the angels did God ever say?”: Filial Language and the Angelic Polemic in Hebrews 1–2 (30 min)
Eyal Regev, Bar-Ilan University
Hebrews' Priestly Christology and the Understanding of the Death of Jesus: Taking the Temple Cult Seriously (30 min)
J. Harrison Duff, University of St. Andrews
A Sacrifice for His Own Sins? Heb 4:15 and 7:27 in the Sixteenth Century and Beyond (30 min)
Paul Middleton, University of Chester
‘It is for discipline that you have to endure’ (Hebrews 12.7a): Persecution as divine chastisement in Hebrews (30 min)

S19-319a

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Intertextuality in the New Testament
11/19/2017
4:00 PM to 6:30 PM
Room: New Hampshire (Fifth Level) - Boston Marriott Copley Place (MCP)

Caroline Schleier Cutler, McMaster Divinity College
Finding Sophia: The Use of the Book of Wisdom in Hebrews 1:3 and Its Christological Implications (20 min)
Discussion (10 min)

S20-103

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African-American Biblical Hermeneutics
11/20/2017
9:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Room: Maverick A (Second Level) - Hilton Boston Back Bay (HBB)Theme: Experimental Methods, New Meanings, and New Voices
This is an open session that pushes the field beyond current methodological and interpretive boundaries.

Eric A. Thomas, Drew University
On the PULSE of Mo(u)rning: Reading Hebrews 11:29-12:2 Between Orlando and Charleston (25 min)

S20-218

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Hebrews
11/20/2017
1:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Room: Back Bay A (Second Level) - Sheraton Boston Hotel (SB)Theme: Hebrews as Interpreted in the Reformation
Amy Peeler, Wheaton College (Illinois), Presiding
Presenter withdrew (30 min)
Bruce Gordon, Yale Divinity School
Protestant Reformers and the Priesthood of Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:1-10) (30 min)
Peter Opitz, Swiss Reformation Studies Institute, Zurich
Zwingli and Bullinger as Exegetes of Hebrews (30 min)
Jennifer Powell McNutt, Wheaton College
Don’t Do It Yourself: Hermeneutics for Hebrews through the Material History of Sixteenth-Century Reformed Bibles (30 min)

S20-249

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Writing Social-Scientific Commentaries of the New Testament
11/20/2017
1:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Room: Tremont (First Level) - Boston Marriott Copley Place (MCP)Theme: Social Identity Theology Investigations: Critical Advances and Evaluations
Visitors are most welcome to the sessions of the seminar. Papers are distributed beforehand and only summarized in the sessions. If you are interested in participating and receiving the papers, please contact the chairs: Petri.Luomanen@helsinki.fi or Brian.Tucker@moody.edu

Matthew Marohl, Saint Olaf College
Comparing the Faithfulness of a Servant to that of a Son (Hebrews 3:1-6) (10 min)
Discussion (30 min)

Hebrews at ETS

The 69th annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society will be held Wednesday through Friday, November 15-17, 2017 at the Rhode Island Convention Center and the Omni Providence Hotel. The following sessions are relevant to the book of Hebrews.

Wednesday, Novermber 15
2:00 PM – 5:10 PM
Omni – Providence II
Letter to the Hebrews
Moderator: George Guthrie 
(Union University)

2:00 PM – 2:40 PM
Jesse Coyne
(Mercer University)
Tabernacle, Transition, and Turbulence: Hebrews and Numbers in Concert

2:50 PM – 3:30 PM
Todd R. Chipman
(Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary)
Weapons, Wealth and the End of the World: Investigating Hag 2:6 in 1QM and Hebrews 12

3:40 PM – 4:20 PM
Shawn J. Wilhite
(California Baptist University)
“To which of the angels did God ever say?”: Filial Language and the Angelic Polemic in Heb 1–2

4:30 PM – 5:10 PM
Matt Kimbrough
(Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary)
‘You Ought to Be Teachers’: Community Obligation in Hebrews 5:12 

Wednesday, November 15
2:00 PM – 5:10 PM
Convention Center – 556
New Testament
General Studies II

4:30 PM – 5:10 PM
Matthew C. Easter
(Missouri Baptist University)
Esau as Prototypical Defector from the Community of Faith in Hebrews 12:16-17

Thursday, November 16
3:00 PM – 6:10 PM
Convention Center – 553 B
Letter to the Hebrews
The Atonement in Hebrews
Moderator: Jon C. Laansma
(Wheaton College and Graduate School)

3:00 PM – 3:40 PM
Michael Allen
(Reformed Theological Seminary)
Living and Active: The Exalted Christ in the Epistle to the Hebrews

3:50 PM – 4:30 PM
Gabriella Gelardini*
(Universität Basel)
Faith

4:40 PM – 5:20 PM
David Moffitt*
(University of St. Andrews)
Priesthood

5:30 PM – 6:10 PM
Derek Z. Rishmawy
(Trinity Evangelical Divinity School)
Offered Up through the Eternal Spirit: A Dogmatic Reading of Christ’s Pneumatological Priesthood in Hebrews 9:14

Hebrews Greek Reading Videos

Todd Scacewater has informed me that Exegetical Tools.com is providing a Greek reading video series on Hebrews. The author is Amy Peeler, who is Associate Professor of New Testament at Wheaton College. She walks you through translating every verse in the epistle to the Hebrews in 48 videos. The $49.95 fee will give you access to all of the online videos. There is a preview video you can look at.

Hebrews Highlights October 2017

Michael Kruger argues that One of the Best (and Most Overlooked) Passages that Demonstrates the Divinity of Jesus is Hebrews 1.

Mike Heiser has posted his latest podcasts on Hebrews 3 and Hebrews 4:1–13. (I'll be adding links to the podcasts on my multimedia page as they become available)

Ken Schenck has some thoughts on Hebrews and New Perspectives. This looks like a section in a book that he is writing on Hebrews.

Charles Savelle poses Five Questions with Roger Pugh on Hebrews. Pugh has written a new commentary on Hebrews: Hearing God's Voice and Responding in Faith: A Commentary on Hebrews, available on Amazon.com. It appears to be on a more popular level.