Savelle Review of Vanhoye

Charles Savelle has a brief review of Albert Vanhoye, The Letter to the Hebrews: A New Commentary.

New Tyndale Bulletin Article on Hebrews 12:24

Kim, Kyu Seop. “Better Than the Blood of Abel? Some Remarks on Abel in Hebrews 12:24.” Tyndale Bulletin 67.1 (2016): 127–36.

"The sudden mention of Abel in Hebrews 12:24 has elicited a multiplicity of interpretations, but despite its significance, the meaning of 'Abel' has not attracted the careful attention that it deserves. This study argues that 'Abel' in Hebrews 12:24 refers to Abel as an example who speaks to us through his right observation of the cult. Accordingly, Hebrews 12:24b means that Christ's cult is superior to the Jewish ritual. This interpretation fits exactly with the adjacent context contrasting Sinai and Zion symbols."

Hebrews Poster

One can buy a poster on Hebrews. It is a bit pricey, but one can download a free image.

A Book That Is Ostensibly Not About Hebrews Is About Hebrews?

Gregory W. Lee has a new book entitled, Today When You Hear His Voice: Scripture, the Covenants, and the People of God. The title gives no overt clue that the book has anything to do with Hebrews (the title does allude to Psalm 95:7, which is quoted in Hebrews 3:7 and 3:15). But according to this Eerdword blog post, Lee focuses his book on Hebrews and its use of the OT. The Eerdmans website gives the following description of the book:

"Presents a doctrine of Scripture based on Hebrews in dialogue with Augustine and Calvin

What vision of biblical authority arises from Scripture's own use of Scripture? This question has received surprisingly little attention from theologians seeking to develop a comprehensive doctrine of Scripture. Today When You Hear His Voice by Gregory W. Lee fills this gap by listening carefully to the Epistle to the Hebrews.

Lee illuminates the unique way that Hebrews appropriates Old Testament texts as he considers the theological relationship between salvation history and scriptural interpretation. He illustrates these dynamics through extended treatments of Augustine and Calvin, whose contrasting perspectives on the covenants, Israel, and the literal and figural senses provide theological categories for appreciating how Hebrews innovatively presents Scripture as God's direct address in the contemporary moment."

Hebrews Highlights June 2016

I am a few days late posting last month's Hebrews highlights because I was in the process of moving during the latter part of June. I have now finished scanning through the last couple of week's posts and have found a few posts on Hebrews.

Andrew Perriman discusses the Trinity, subordination and narrative in Hebrews 1:1–2. He also has Some observations about divine Sonship in Hebrews 1.

Henry Neufeld discusses Hebrews and the Problem of Writing Introductions. He also highlights some Modern Barriers to Understanding Hebrews. He also gives us A Note on Revelation, Christology, and the Prologue to Hebrews. He then comments on ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ in Hebrews 4:12. He then opines that Exhortation Does Not Interrupt Exposition when commenting on the transition at Hebrews 5:11.

Jennifer Guo promotes Thomas Schreiner's Commentary on Hebrews.

Benjamin Ribbens, Levitical Sacrifice and Heavenly Cult in Hebrews

Ben Ribbens informed me that his revised dissertation, Levitical Sacrifice and Heavenly Cult in Hebrews, has now been published with De Gruyter.

Abstract from the website:

"This monograph examines Hebrews’ understanding of the relationship between old covenant sacrifices and Christ’s new covenant sacrifice, especially as it relates to the question of efficacy. Most scholars think the author of Hebrews strips the levitical sacrifices of most, if not all, efficacy, but this work affirms a more positive depiction of the levitical sacrifices. A mystical apocalyptic tradition stands behind Hebrews’ description of the heavenly cult , which establishes the framework for relating the levitical sacrifice to Christ’s sacrifice. The earthly, levitical cult was efficacious when it corresponded to or synchronized with the heavenly sacrifice of Christ. Still, the author of Hebrews develops the notion of the heavenly cult in unique ways, as Christ’s sacrifice both validates the earthly practice but also, due to his new covenant theology, calls for its end. Ribbens’ bold proposal joins a growing number of scholars that place Hebrews in the mystical apocalyptic tradition, highlights positive statements in Hebrews related to the efficacy of levitical sacrifices that are often overlooked, and relies on the heavenly cult to reconcile the positive and negative descriptions of the levitical cult."