Page 12 - Hebrews- Student Textbook

C. The Jewish unbelievers in fellowship with these Jewish Christians are the focus of chapters 6 and 10.
Notice the presence of three groups, "we," "you," and "they." They are warned to personally respond to
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the abundant and clear evidence in the lives of their Christian friends and co-worshipers.
D. This supposed historical reconstruction is taken from No Easy Salvation by R. C. Glaze, Jr.

"The problem was not that of tension between the Christian majority and the non-Christian
minority. The very opposite was true. The Jewish Christians of this congregation had so
compromised their faith and sense of stewardship that the two groups could worship together as
one congregation. Neither group seriously troubled the conscience of the other. No longer did the
preaching of the Christian group result in conviction and decision on the part of the unsaved
members of the synagogue. The Christians were in a state of stagnation because of their
unwillingness to accept the full demands of courageous Christian living. The unbelievers had
become hardened by continual rejection to the point of utter indifference. These groups had now
become compatible bedfellows.

The reluctance of the Christian group to ‘press on unto perfection' (6:1) was motivated by two
phenomena: high regard for the traditions of Judaism and unwillingness to pay the price of full
identification with Christianity, which was becoming more and more a Gentile movement" (p. 23).

Throughout Hebrews, the author builds on the traditions of the Old Testament and Judaism, explaining
at every turn how Jesus surpasses and perfects those traditions.

i. Jesus is superior to the angels (Heb 1:4) and Moses (Heb 3:3);
ii. He provides a better rest than Joshua’s promised land (Heb 4:1);
iii. He is a better high priest (Heb 4:14–16) who mediates a new, superior covenant (Heb 7:22);
iv. He is a better tabernacle (Heb 9:11) and a better sacrifice for atonement (Heb 9:14; Lev 6; Isa
53:10).
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The writer seems to have a dual purpose in mind as he writes:

1. A need to be pastoral for those who needed special prompting to be faithful by not
deserting their faith in Christ.
2. A need to set forth the teaching on the supremacy and finality of Jesus Christ.

There are both negative and positive aspects in this purpose:
1. Negatively, to warn and to prevent his readers from turning back into their pre-Christian
state by developing “a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God” (Heb
3:12; cf. 3:6, 14; 4:14; 10:23);
2. Positively, to encourage readers “to go on to maturity,” leaving behind “the elementary
teachings about Christ” (6:1).

10 Uttly
11 Barry, et al.

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