Hebrews
Hebrews
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Paperback
£35.99
Publisher: Liturgical Press
ISBN: 9780814659816
Number of Pages: 384
Published: 01/12/2009
Width: 15.2 cm
Height: 22.9 cm
Scarcely any book of the New Testament (with the possible exception of Revelation) is so perplexing as the "Letter to the Hebrews." Not really a letter, but a sermon with some features of a letter added to it, not really by its putative author, Paul, but by an anonymous Christian who wrote some of the most elegant Greek in the Bible, not really addressed to the "Hebrews," but to Christians, probably in Rome—this is the work that Alan Mitchell explains in this commentary.
Many scholars have written fine commentaries on Hebrews, and Mitchell stands on their shoulders, noting where he proposes alternate interpretations. Mitchell pays particular attention to the reliance of the author of Hebrews on the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint). He also compares the language of Hebrews with similar usage and ideas of first-century Hellenistic Jewish authors, notably Flavius Josephus and Philo of Alexandria. Furthermore, he situates Hebrews against the background of the tradition of Hellenistic Moral Philosophy, where that is appropriate. Mitchell thus locates Hebrews in its proper thought-world, something that is essential for the modern reader in dealing with some of the thornier questions raised by this biblical book. Chief among these are the role of sacrificial atonement, the question of "second repentance," and the spiritual and moral formation of the Roman Christians who were its recipients.
Like all the volumes in the Sacra Pagina series, this work examines the text in detail, with careful attention to the words and phrasing, and then brings those individual insights together into a coherent summary. The bibliography and special lists appended to each chapter cover the best of recent scholarship on the Letter to the Hebrews.
CONTENTS
Editor’s Preface xi
Preface xiii
Abbreviations xv
Introduction
1. Authorship 2
2. Destination 6
3. Date 7
4. Audience 11
5. Genre 13
a. Letter/Epistle 14
b. Homily 14
c. Exhortation 15
d. Midrash 16
6. Structure 17
a. Thematic Structure 17
b. Non-Thematic Structure 18
7. Eschatology 21
8. Conscience/Consciousness of Sin in Hebrews 23
9. The Priesthood of Christ and the Ministerial Priesthood 24
10. Hebrews and Anti-Semitism 25
11. General Bibliography 28
Translation, Notes, Interpretation
Exordium
1. A God Who Speaks (1:1-4) 35
I. Jesus, Son Crowned with Glory as a Result of His Suffering and Death (1:5–2:18)
2. The Son and the Angels (1:5-14) 46
3. So Great a Salvation (2:1-4) 55
4. Subjecting All Things (2:5-9) 63
5. A Merciful and Faithful High Priest (2:10-18) 72
II. Jesus, Apostle and High Priest: A Model of Faith and Hope (3:1–6:20)
6. Worthy of More Glory than Moses (3:1-6) 80
7. Rebellion in the Wilderness (3:7-19) 86
8. Strive to Enter that Rest (4:1-13) 94
9. A Great High Priest (4:14–5:10) 104
10. Food for the Mature (5:11–6:3) 115
11. Going on to Maturity (6:4-12) 123
12. The Surety of God’s Oath (6:13-20) 131
III. The Message for the Mature: Another Priest Like Melchizedek (7:1–10:39)
13. Melchizedek and Abraham (7:1-10) 138
14. A Priest in the Likeness of Melchizedek (7:11-19) 144
15. A Priest Forever (7:20-28) 152
16. Jesus, the High Priest (8:1-6) 159
17. The New Covenant (8:7-13) 167
18. The Ritual of the First Covenant (9:1-10) 172
19. The Ritual of the New Covenant (9:11-14) 181
20. The Death of the Mediator (9:15-22) 187
21. Sacrifices of the New Covenant (9:23-28) 193
22. The Once for All Sacrifice of the New Covenant (10:1-18) 198
23. The Call to Approach (10:19-25) 210
24. A Warning of Judgment (10:26-31) 215
25. A Note of Hope (10:32-39) 222
IV. Heroic Faith and the Discipline of Suffering (11:1–12:13)
26. The Assurance of Faith (11:1-7) 227
27. The Faith of Abraham, Sarah, and Their Descendants (11:8-12) 235
28. The Desire for a Better Country (11:13-16) 239
29. Abraham to Joseph (11:17-22) 243
30. Moses and the Exodus Generation (11:23-31) 249
31. The Faith of the Persecuted (11:32-40) 256
32. Looking to Jesus (12:1-3) 264
33. The Discipline of Suffering (12:4-13) 270
V. Warnings and Exhortations (12:14–13:19)
34. A Warning Against Godlessness (12:14-17) 277
35. A Comparison Between Mount Sinai and Mount Zion (12:18-24) 281
36. A Consuming Fire (12:25-29) 287
37. Final Exhortations (13:1-6) 292
38. Offering a Sacrifice of Praise (13:7-19) 297
Postscript
39. Benediction and Farewell Greetings (13:20-25) 307
Indexes
Scripture and Other Ancient Writings 313
Authors 353
Editor’s Preface xi
Preface xiii
Abbreviations xv
Introduction
1. Authorship 2
2. Destination 6
3. Date 7
4. Audience 11
5. Genre 13
a. Letter/Epistle 14
b. Homily 14
c. Exhortation 15
d. Midrash 16
6. Structure 17
a. Thematic Structure 17
b. Non-Thematic Structure 18
7. Eschatology 21
8. Conscience/Consciousness of Sin in Hebrews 23
9. The Priesthood of Christ and the Ministerial Priesthood 24
10. Hebrews and Anti-Semitism 25
11. General Bibliography 28
Translation, Notes, Interpretation
Exordium
1. A God Who Speaks (1:1-4) 35
I. Jesus, Son Crowned with Glory as a Result of His Suffering and Death (1:5–2:18)
2. The Son and the Angels (1:5-14) 46
3. So Great a Salvation (2:1-4) 55
4. Subjecting All Things (2:5-9) 63
5. A Merciful and Faithful High Priest (2:10-18) 72
II. Jesus, Apostle and High Priest: A Model of Faith and Hope (3:1–6:20)
6. Worthy of More Glory than Moses (3:1-6) 80
7. Rebellion in the Wilderness (3:7-19) 86
8. Strive to Enter that Rest (4:1-13) 94
9. A Great High Priest (4:14–5:10) 104
10. Food for the Mature (5:11–6:3) 115
11. Going on to Maturity (6:4-12) 123
12. The Surety of God’s Oath (6:13-20) 131
III. The Message for the Mature: Another Priest Like Melchizedek (7:1–10:39)
13. Melchizedek and Abraham (7:1-10) 138
14. A Priest in the Likeness of Melchizedek (7:11-19) 144
15. A Priest Forever (7:20-28) 152
16. Jesus, the High Priest (8:1-6) 159
17. The New Covenant (8:7-13) 167
18. The Ritual of the First Covenant (9:1-10) 172
19. The Ritual of the New Covenant (9:11-14) 181
20. The Death of the Mediator (9:15-22) 187
21. Sacrifices of the New Covenant (9:23-28) 193
22. The Once for All Sacrifice of the New Covenant (10:1-18) 198
23. The Call to Approach (10:19-25) 210
24. A Warning of Judgment (10:26-31) 215
25. A Note of Hope (10:32-39) 222
IV. Heroic Faith and the Discipline of Suffering (11:1–12:13)
26. The Assurance of Faith (11:1-7) 227
27. The Faith of Abraham, Sarah, and Their Descendants (11:8-12) 235
28. The Desire for a Better Country (11:13-16) 239
29. Abraham to Joseph (11:17-22) 243
30. Moses and the Exodus Generation (11:23-31) 249
31. The Faith of the Persecuted (11:32-40) 256
32. Looking to Jesus (12:1-3) 264
33. The Discipline of Suffering (12:4-13) 270
V. Warnings and Exhortations (12:14–13:19)
34. A Warning Against Godlessness (12:14-17) 277
35. A Comparison Between Mount Sinai and Mount Zion (12:18-24) 281
36. A Consuming Fire (12:25-29) 287
37. Final Exhortations (13:1-6) 292
38. Offering a Sacrifice of Praise (13:7-19) 297
Postscript
39. Benediction and Farewell Greetings (13:20-25) 307
Indexes
Scripture and Other Ancient Writings 313
Authors 353
This commentary is likely to become one of the standard mid-length scholarly treatments of Hebrews.The Expository Times This commentary provides a thorough yet accessible treatment of Hebrews that will serve both specialists and nonspecialists well. The thought world of Hebrews can seem strange to many, but M.'s work opens up the text in an engaging manner that invites continued exploration of a fascinating New Testament work.Theological Studies [S]ucceeds in demystifying the strange world encountered in Hebrews without distorting its message. Very few commentaries on this rich composition provide the same breadth of analysis in the same amount of space.Catholic Biblical Quarterly [Mitchell] follows the helpful format of this fine series . . . including a fresh translation with annotation of key points, and then a more synthetic exposition of the meaning of the text.The Bible Today
