A Commentary on the Epistle to the HEBREWS

CHRISTOCENTRIC COMMENTARY SERIES

A Commentary on the Epistle to the

HEBREWS

k JESUS

Better Than Everything

James A. Fowler

CHRISTOCENTRIC COMMENTARY SERIES

A COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE

HEBREWS

k

JESUS ? Better Than Everything

James A. Fowler

ciy

PUBLISHING P.O. BOX 1822 FALLBROOK, CALIFORNIA 92088-1822

A COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS k

JESUS ? Better Than Everything

~ Christocentric Commentary Series ~

Copyright ?2006 by James A. Fowler

ISBN-10 ? 1-929541-07-4 ISBN-13 ? 978-1-929541-07-2

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (including photocopyings, recording, electronic transmission) without the prior written permission of the author, except for brief quotations embodied in critical articles or book reviews. For information contact the author at C.I.Y. Publishing.

Published by C.I.Y. PUBLISHING P.O. BOX 1822

FALLBROOK, CALIFORNIA 92088-1822

Printed in the United States of America

Scriptural quotations are primarily original translations from the Greek text of the New Testament, but otherwise from the New American Standard Bible, copyrights 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation, LaHabra, California.

CHRISTOCENTRIC COMMENTARY SERIES

Cognizant that there are a plethora of New Testament Commentary series available on the market, the question might legitimately be asked, "Why another series of New Testament commentaries?" Although many capable commentators with varying theological perspectives have exegeted the text of the New Testament over the years, seldom do they bring with them into their studies a Christocentric understanding that the Christian gospel is solely comprised and singularly centered in the Person of the risen and living Lord Jesus Christ. The Christocentric Commentary Series will exegete and comment on the text of the New Testament from the perspective that the totality of what Jesus came to bring to the world of mankind is Himself ? nothing more, nothing less. Having historically died on the cross and risen from the dead, He is not confined to the parameters of the "Historical Jesus," but as the Spirit of Christ He continues to live as He spiritually indwells those who are receptive to Him by faith. This recognition of the contemporary experiential dynamic of Christ's life in the Christian will form the distinctive of the Christocentric Commentary Series, bearing out Paul's Christ-centered declaration, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me" (Gal. 2:20).

All legitimate exegesis of the scriptures must pay close attention to the context in which the texts were originally written. The historical context of a text's sitz im leben, the "setting in life" of the author and recipients, is particularly important, for otherwise the interpretation will simply read into the text the presuppositions of the commentator and become eisegesis instead of exegesis. The CCS will carefully consider the historical context as well as the textual context of the scriptures.

Whereas the CCS is not intended to be a devotional commentary series or a detailed technical commentary citing all contemporary scholarship, our intent is to steer a middle course that maintains non-technical explanation that is academically viable. Although reference will be made to words from the Hebrew and Greek languages, those words will be converted to Roman lettering, allowing those who do not know the original languages to pronounce them. Citations, quotations, and endnotes will be kept to a minimum.

A diversity of interpretive formats will be utilized in the CCS. Some volumes will employ a verse-by-verse exegetical format (cf. Hebrews and Galatians), whereas others will provide comment on contextual passages (cf. The Four Gospels and Revelation). Regardless of the interpretive format, the CCS will render a "literal interpretation" of the scripture text, that is, in accord with the intended literary genre of the author.

As most biblical commentaries are utilized by pastors and teachers, or studious Christians seeking to understand the scriptures in depth in order to share with others, we join the Apostle Paul in the desire to "entrust these to faithful men (and women) who will be able to teach others also" (II Tim. 2:2). In so doing, may you "do all to the glory of God" (I Cor. 10:31).

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Hebrews 1:1 ? 2:4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Hebrews 2:5-18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Hebrews 3:1-19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Hebrews 4:1-13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Hebrews 4:14 ? 5:10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 Hebrews 5:11 ? 6:20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 Hebrews 7:1-28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 Hebrews 8:1-13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227 Hebrews 9:1 ? 10:18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255 Hebrews 10:19-39 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303 Hebrews 11:1-40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327 Hebrews 12:1-13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371 Hebrews 12:14-29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401 Hebrews 13:1-25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431

x .

Introduction

JESUS

Better Than Everything

An Introduction to the Epistle to the Hebrews

The Epistle to the Hebrews has suffered from anonymity. There is anonymity of both author and recipients because these details are not included in the text of the letter. Such anonymity makes the document suspect in the minds of some for it provides no specificity of its intended meaning within a given context. The anonymity of writer and reader allows the epistle to be abstracted and generalized without a specific sitz im leben (setting in life) to provide historical context and a basis for specific amplification and application of the meaning of the words. Anonymous text allows for a dilution of meaning in interpretation of the text, or allows an expositor to run rampant with personal presuppositions imposed upon or applied to the text. In other words, anonymity can diminish exegesis (interpretive meaning drawn out of the text) and/or facilitate eisegesis (interpretive meaning read into the text). In either case, whether subtractive or additive, such interpretation cannot and does not take into account the full intent of the original author to his recipients, and thus diminishes the value and meaning of the text for subsequent generations of readers.

This has certainly been the case in the interpretation of the Epistle to the Hebrews. The letter has suffered from neglect and misuse. The regrettable consequence of the anonymous authorship of this literature has been the reluctance of some Christians to accept it as fully authentic and authoritative. Even in the early church it was little used and cited. Hebrews

1

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