Jonathan Rowlands reviews Ben C. Blackwell, John K. Goodrich, and Jason Maston (eds.). Reading Hebrews in Context: The Sermon and Second Temple Judaism.
Monday, May 8, 2023
Wednesday, May 3, 2023
Oil of Gladness and the Immortal High Priest in Hebrews
New article:
Duff, Justin. “Oil of Gladness and the Immortal High Priest in Hebrews.” Journal of Theological Studies 74.1 (2023): 103–36.
Abstract:
"The anointment of Jesus with the ‘oil of gladness’ in Hebrews 1 is a puzzling feature of Hebrews’ argument. The anointment—which is drawn from Psalm 45 and connected to Christ’s messianic enthronement—is often regarded as a royal investiture that transpired after the death of Christ. The relationship with royal messianism and heavenly enthronement, however, may overshadow another significant function of the oil of gladness: high priestly consecration and bodily immortalization. In this article, the function of Christ’s anointment is explored against uses of Psalm 45 in early Judaism and Greco-Roman and Second Temple traditions that depict heavenly oil as an agent of bodily transformation. These traditions suggest that Jesus’ anointment in Hebrews may signify a priestly consecration that transforms and immortalizes the human body for the heavenly realms. The anointment of Jesus in Hebrews may therefore be connected to the incarnate Son’s inheritance of ‘indestructible life’ (7:16) and clarifies when Jesus ‘became’ a royal-priestly Messiah ‘for the ages’."
Sunday, April 30, 2023
Hebrews Highlights - April 2023
Madison Pierce and Max Botner discuss Why We Love Hebrews on the podcast, On the Way. Pocast is available on Spotify.
Thursday, April 27, 2023
Theology of the High Priest Jesus Christ
"The Letter to the Hebrews is the only writing in the New Testament that attributes to Christ the title of Pontiff or High Priest. However, by calling him that way, he does not do so in the sense in which the pontificate of the Old Testament priesthood was understood, since the author knows perfectly well that, in order to be a priest according to the Mosaic Law, it was necessary to belong to the tribe of Levi. The novelty of this attribution lies in the fact that the priesthood of Jesus has qualities that make it eminently superior to the priesthood of the Old Testament."
Thursday, April 6, 2023
A Note on the Structure of Hebrews 10:11–13
New article, which is available for download:
Akagi, Kai. “A Note on the Structure of Hebrews 10:11–13.” Novum Testamentum 65 (2023):227–39.
"Lexical, syntactical, and semantic correspondence demonstrates that Heb 10:11–13 consists of a concentric structure not discussed in the commentary literature. Observation of this structure clarifies the number of contrasts that appear in the sentence spanning these verses and provides additional data informing the debated question of whether the phrase εἰς τὸ διηνεκές in Heb 10:12 modifies the preceding participle προσενέγκας or the following verb ἐκάθισεν. This structure furthermore serves as one more example of the emphasis on the singularity of Jesus’s sacrifice in Hebrews."
Friday, March 31, 2023
Hebrews Highlights - March 2023
Spring Lecture Series 2023 Day 2 - Dr. David Allen
Hebrews 6:1-8 has been a source of controversy in the church for centuries. Its interpretation is central to how we understand salvation itself, primarily whether it can be lost or not. For day 2 of our 2023 Spring Lecture Series, Dr. David Allen gives his views on this heavy passage and how it shapes our theology.
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
Did Silas Write Hebrews?
Andersen, Bob. Who Wrote Hebrews? The Case for Silas and His Message for Today. Riverside, CA: Gentle Impact Publishing, 2023.
"This is not another commentary on Hebrews. It is an analysis of the setting--which shines a beacon on the message. Pinpointing the author, historical setting, and target audience make the urgency of the message clear—not only for the ancient Hebrews but for Christians today. It is an argument for Silas as author with evidence that was "hidden in plain sight." It shows Hebrews was written to Jerusalem. It is a defense against 20th century thought and shows Paul's involvement in the writing of the book of Hebrews."
Don't let the cover fool you, nor the fact that the book appears to be independently published. This book does show evidence of scholarly research (hence, the inclusion on this blog). That is not to say that I am endorsing the book. I have not yet read the book to assess whether his arguments stand up to scrutiny. As with many of my posts, I am alerting you to new books on Hebrews that may be of interest to you.
Tuesday, March 21, 2023
Intercession of Jesus in Hebrews
Thursday, March 16, 2023
Christology and New Creation in Hebrews
Thursday, March 2, 2023
Reading Hebrews Missiologically
The discussion on the theology of mission in the New Testament usually focuses on Jesus and Paul, with minimal attention given to the General Epistles. However, Reading Hebrews Missiologically tries to fill that gap and focuses on the theology of mission in the book of Hebrews and fleshes out the unique contribution it has to the discussion of a New Testament theology of mission. The twelve contributors—from various theological, geographical, and missiological contexts—explore the missionary motive, the missionary message, and the missionary method of the Epistle to the Hebrews.
All Scripture can be read missiologically, and the letter to the Hebrews, with its emphasis on the supremacy of Christ, is no exception. We pray that this book will inspire fresh approaches to practical mission in the world today."
Tuesday, February 28, 2023
Hebrews Highlights - February 2023
Madison Pierce discusses Hebrews and the Word of God.
Podcast with Amy Peeler on Hebrews, Jesus' Maleness, and Women.
Saturday, February 25, 2023
Purifying the Consciousness in Hebrews
New book:
"Joshua D. A. Bloor argues that the purification of the consciousness of
sin, via Jesus' perpetual heavenly blood offering, is a vital motif for
understanding Hebrews' sacrificial argumentation, and vice-versa. Jesus'
'objective' earthly achievements are many, yet only his 'subjective'
heavenly blood offering purges the heavenly tabernacle and subsequently
the consciousness of sin. Bloor views the Levitical cult as having a
positive role in Hebrews, with Levitical 'guilt' foreshadowing and
informing Hebrews' notion of the 'consciousness of sin'. Levitical
sacrifices could purge the consciousness, but only Jesus'
heavenly blood can offer complete perpetual purgation. This blood is a
qualitative type of purgation which continually speaks in heaven,
offering eternal assurance for the recipients regarding their
consciousness of sin.
Bloor begins with the 'defiled
consciousness' and situates the world of Hebrews within cultic
defilement, enabling the consciousness of sin and its cosmic
implications to be properly understood. From here, the solution to a
defiled consciousness is explored by examining Hebrews' cultic
argumentation. Bloor highlights the distinctive purposes inherent in
both Jesus' earthly and heavenly achievements, with the latter concerned
particularly with Yom Kippur imagery and the purgation of the
consciousness. Bloor concludes by differentiating between Jesus'
session, present heavenly activity and perpetual heavenly blood
offering. Throughout this volume, Bloor engages, critiques and advances
current discourse concerning the nature and timing of Jesus' offering in
Hebrews."
Wednesday, February 15, 2023
Reading Hebrews in Context
About the Book
Study Hebrews in its Second Temple Context
Following the proven model established in Reading Romans in Context, Reading Mark in Context, and Reading Revelation in Context, this book brings together a series of accessible essays that compare and contrast the theology and hermeneutical practices of the book of Hebrews with various early Jewish literature.
Going beyond an introduction that merely surveys historical events and theological themes, this textbook examines individual passages in Second Temple Jewish literature in order to illuminate the ideas and emphases of Hebrews' varied discourses. Following the rhetorical progression of Hebrews, each chapter in this textbook:
- pairs a major unit of Hebrews with one or more sections of a thematically related Jewish text
- introduces and explores the historical and theological nuances of the comparative text
- shows how the ideas in the comparative text illuminate those expressed in Hebrews
In addition to the focused comparison provided in the essays, Reading Hebrews in Context offers other student-friendly features that help them engage broader discussions, including an introductory chapter that familiarizes students with the world and texts of Second Temple Judaism and a glossary of important terms. The end of each chapter contains a list of other thematically-relevant Second Temple Jewish texts recommended for further study and a focused bibliography pointing students to critical editions and higher-level discussions in scholarly literature they might use to undertake their own comparative studies.