Hebrews Carnival October 2011

The biblioblog activity on the book of Hebrews for the month of October:

Kevin Brown explores When did Jesus become a Priest?

Dirk Jongkind discusses a variant of Hebrews 5:6 in P46.

Ken Schenck offers his Outline of Hebrews that will be a part of the study notes for the CEB Study Bible.

Daniel Streett explains that the Sabbath Rest in Hebrews is based upon the author's interpretation of the LXX text, and not the Hebrew.

Michael Bird Introduces the Book of Hebrews.

Hebrews Recited

Joey Shorey of Covenant Fellowship Church recites the entire book of Hebrews from memory.  A video like this reminds us that the original audience would have heard the book orally; they would not have read it.  This video gives us a sense of what it would been like to have heard it orally for the first time.

New Articles Added

The following articles have been added:

Anonymous. "A Lawyer Looks at Hebrews 9:15-17." Evangelical Quarterly 40.3 (1968): 151-56.

Legg, John D. "Our Brother Timothy: A Suggested Solution to the Problem of the Authorship of the Epistle to the Hebrews." Evangelical Quarterly 40.4 (1968): 220-223.

Rendall, Robert. "The Method of the Writer to the Hebrews in Using Old Testament Quotations." Evangelical Quarterly 27.4 (1955): 214-220.

Thurston, Robert W. "Philo and the Epistle to the Hebrews." Evangelical Quarterly 58.2 (1986): 133-43.

Trudinger, L. Paul. "The Gospel Meaning of the Secular: Reflections on Hebrews 10:10-13." Evangelical Quarterly, 54.4 (1982): 235-37.

Hebrews Dinner at SBL in San Francisco

Last year, after one of the sessions on Hebrews, we had an impromptu gathering of several Hebrews specialists who had a meal together.  This year Scott Mackie and I would like to be more intentional about organizing a dinner together with other Hebrews specialists.  Scott has told me that there is already some interest in having such a gathering.

We think the best time for the dinner would be right after the Monday session which meets from 4:00-6:30.

If you are going to be in San Francisco for the SBL meeting and would like to join us for dinner, please leave a comment.

". . . not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some . . ." (Hebrews 10:25)

Letters to the Churches

Apparently, Karen Jobes' new book, Letters to the Churches: A Survey of Hebrews and the General Epistles (Zondervan) is now available.

Description from the Zondervan website:

"Respected New Testament scholar Karen Jobes explores the cultural and theological background of Hebrews and the general epistles (James through Jude) in this rich commentary. Writing from an evangelical perspective, Jobes addresses issues of historical relevance as well as how these ancient books connect with Christian faith and practice today. Letters to the Church includes: -Historical background for each book focusing on authorship, genre, date, and content -An exploration of the major themes in each book and detailed commentary on key passages -Boxes with chapter goals, outlines, challenges, and significant verses -Sidebars addressing difficult passages or ideas -Maps, photographs, charts, and definitions -Questions for discussion, reflection, and testing -A comparison of the teachings about Christ in each of the letters Pastors, professors, students, and laypeople interested in deeper biblical study will find this an invaluable resource that offers well-researched commentary in an accessible, spiritually meaningful form."

About the Author:

Karen H. Jobes is the Gerald F. Hawthorne Professor of New Testament Greek and Exegesis at Wheaton College. She is the author of many articles and several books, including The NIV Application Commentary: Esther.

HT: Matthew Montonini

Reading the Epistle to the Hebrews

The Society of Biblical Literature has just announced the publication of a new resource on Hebrews.  I knew that this book was in the works but couldn't say anything about it.  The book has a line-up of leading Hebrews scholars:

Reading the Epistle to the Hebrews: A Resource for Students. Edited by Eric Mason and Kevin McCruden.

From the SBL website: 

Reading the Epistle to the Hebrews: A Resource for Students addresses major issues in the interpretation of this important but complex biblical text and provides an introduction to contemporary scholarship on Hebrews. With contributions from an international team of leading scholars on Hebrews and related fields, this volume reflects the most recent trends in the study of Hebrews and is designed for classroom use by students in both undergraduate and graduate programs. The various chapters emphasize the importance of interpreting Hebrews in light of its ancient Jewish, Christian, and Greco-Roman contexts and address major interpretive issues, including genre, conceptual backgrounds, Hebrews’ use of Scripture and biblical themes, the theology of the letter and major theological issues in its reception, emerging interpretive approaches, and the use of the book in the history of Christian thought and worship.

Eric F. Mason is Associate Professor of Biblical Studies and chair of the Department of Biblical and Theological Studies at Judson University. He is the author of ‘You Are a Priest Forever’: Second Temple Jewish Messianism and the Priestly Christology of the Epistle to the Hebrews (Brill).
Kevin B. McCruden is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Gonzaga University. He is the author of Solidarity Perfected: Beneficent Christology in the Epistle to the Hebrews (de Gruyter).

CONTENTS

Introduction
— Eric F. Mason

Hebrews among Greeks and Romans
— Patrick Gray

What Has Middle Platonism to Do with Hebrews?
— James W. Thompson

Cosmology, Messianism, and Melchizedek: Apocalyptic Jewish Traditions and Hebrews
— Eric F. Mason

The Interpretation of Scripture in the Epistle to the Hebrews
— David M. Moffitt

Hebrews, Rhetoric, and the Future of Humanity
— Craig R. Koester

Hebrews, Homiletics, and Liturgical Scripture Interpretation
— Gabriella Gelardini

Jesus the Broker in Hebrews: Insights from the Social Sciences
— Jerome H. Neyrey, S.J.

Hebrews as the Re-presentation of a Story: A Narrative Approach to Hebrews
— Kenneth Schenck

The Theology of the Epistle to the Hebrews
— Frank J. Matera

The Concept of Perfection in the Epistle to the Hebrews
— Kevin B. McCruden

The Jesus of Hebrews and the Christ of Chalcedon
— Rowan A. Greer

“A Sacrifice of Praise”: Does Hebrews Promote Supersessionism?
— Alan C. Mitchell

Hebrews in the Worship Life of the Church: A Historical Survey
— Mark A. Torgerson

Epilogue
— Harold W. Attridge

Hardback edition available from Brill Academic Publishers (www.brill.nl)

Demarest on Hebrews 7:3

The following article has been added:

Demarest, Bruce A. "Hebrews 7:3: A Crux Interpetum Historically Considered." Evangelical Quarterly 49.3 (1977): 141-162.

HT: Rob Bradshaw