HEBREWS
(Answers)
Updated 02/2024
CHAPTER 1
- God made Jesus heir of all
things from the beginning before man was created.
- Jesus is the living example
and expressed nature, character, and will of God.
- God anointed Jesus over His
companions.
- God laid the foundation of
the world.
- Angels minister to the
saints who will inherit salvation.
CHAPTER 2
- If the word spoken thropugh
angels proved steadfast and Jesus is greater than the angels we must give
greater heed and obedience to the word we have heard from Him lest we
drift away.
- Man is a little lower than
the angels.
- a. Man had no control to
overcome death. b. Jesus tasted death for us so now it is possible for man
to die and then live again.
- Everything is for God and by
God to bring Him many sons to glory.
- Jesus is the captain of our
salvation.
- Not only did Jesus defeat
Satan and overcome death, He became a merciful mediator and aid to us in
time of our temptations.
CHAPTER 3
- a. Moses led the house of
the Israelites. b. Jesus leads the house of both Jews and Gentiles who
believe in Him. c. God built both houses. d. Moses was a servant to God in
his house. Jesus is a son (who will be given ownership and become king of
His house).
- We must maintain our faith
and hope in the gospel firm to the end of our life.
- We are warned not to depart
from God as Israel did when they stopped trusting and obeying Him and fell
into sin.
- Through being deceived by
sin, we seek its temporary pleasures and "rewards." We
eventually turn away from God and righteousness and purity.
- "Today" is now, in
our lifetime. When we hear the word of God and are exhorted by other
believers, we must heed the word and be obedient to it turning away from
sin and to trusting in God.
- Belief is trust and
confidence in God. This leads to obeying Him. Therefore, belief means to
obey (vs. 18 &19). Belief only exists if we obey Him.
CHAPTER 4
- The saints will rest from
their works, toils, and trials of life and from the works of the law. This
rest is spiritually and eternally.
- By believing and trusting in
God we will be diligent to be obedient to God. By this we will enter His
rest.
- The Word is in us and will
guide us. It is a discerner of thoughts and intents of the heart.
- Jesus was tempted, as we are
and remained sinless. We can draw on His purity for strength in our
temptations and His mercy and grace when we are in need.
CHAPTER 5
- Melchizedek, a high priest,
received offerings and made atonement for the people. He had no genealogy of the order
of the Levites (ch.7). Jesus became high priest by God and our atonement.
He was not of the order of the Levites but was of the tribe of Judah.
- Jesus taught us by word and
example. He was obedient to God and now dwells in eternal life. We must
follow His example of obedience to God.
- The writer had much to say
Melchizedek in comparison with Jesus as high priest but the people had
become dull of hearing. (He does expound on Melchizedek in chapter 7).
- To be teachers of the word
the people must exercise their senses to God's word and will and
spiritually mature in discerning good and evil.
CHAPTER 6
- The people have heard and
been converted by the principles of Christ. They should be maturing in
faith and obedience and not living as a babe in the faith
- a. It is possible for
someone to fall away from the faith.
b. They have once before repented and believed when they heard the
gospel. They cannot continue to be a new convert but must remain steadfast
in the faith. c. Those who fall away repeat the rejection of Jesus as the
Jews did when they rejected and crucified Him and put Him to an open
shame.
- The rain is the word and
teachings of God that should produce growth, maturity, and obedience in
our faith.
- Those who reject or ignore
the rain are rejected and near to being cursed whose end is to be burned.
- Through faith and patience
they must be diligent to continue to do the things that accompany
salvation.
- The promise and oath of God
concerning the Seed of Abraham cannot be broken and is consolation for our
souls.
CHAPTER 7
- Abraham paid tithes to the
high priest Melchizedek, a non-Levite high priest. The Levite high priest
received the tithes of the people. God has made Jesus high priest of the
order of Melchizrdek, a non-Levite high priest (vs. 14). As they accepted
Melchizedek, they are to accept Jesus as high priest.
- The law could not make
complete reconciliation to God nor could it change their hearts. Jesus
became a perpetual sacrifice and the Spirit came into our hearts
- The former priests were
prevented from continuing because of death. Jesus continues to live and make
intercession for us and is our continual sacrifice for our sins.
CHAPTER 8
- The tabernacle built by
Moses was a shadow, a copy, or a hint of the true heavenly tabernacle and
the worship of God.
- The new covenant is better
because it put the laws and principles of God into the mind and hearts of
the believers.
- God sent His Holy Spirit to
be in us.
- God will be merciful and
forgive us of our unrighteousness. (Jesus is the covering for our sins.)
CHAPTER 9
- Jesus became the everlasting
sacrifice of redemption. The sacrificing of animals and the rituals of the
law came to an end.
- The more perfect tabernacle
is in heaven with Jesus continually next to God.
- Without the shedding of
blood there is no remission of sins. Jesus had to die. (Like a last will
and testament that doesn’t go into effect until the person dies so also
the new covenant did not go into effect until Jesus died.)
- The heavenly sanctuary
required a more pure everlasting sacrifice than the earthly tabernacle.
CHAPTER 10
- We have a pure High Priest in
Jesus and full evidence of atonement. His blood completely cleanses us.
"Conscience" here means that one would have no apprehension of
future wrath
- God was not satisfied with
sacrifice after sacrifice. The blood of bulls and goats could not
reconcile us to God. Jesus, His only begotten son, is the sinless
sacrifice that completely reconciled us to God once and forever.
- Where there is remission of
sins there is no longer a need for a sacrifice. We enter the presence of
God spiritually as often as desired because the veil is removed by the
sacrifice of Jesus.
- There is fearful judgment
and indignation and a worse punishment awaiting those who sin willfully.
(They will not receive the promise of eternal life.)
- We have need of endurance so
after we have done the will of God we will receive the promise (of eternal
life).
- Drawing back means to
forsake God, renounce your religion, and your faith in Him.
- Those who draw back will
face perdition and the destruction of their souls.
CHAPTER 11
- Faith is the substance of
things hoped for and the evidence of things not yet seen. In the promises
of God, we see His works and believe His promise of an eternal home that
we are yet to see.
- We must have faith in God
and diligently seek Him.
- God will reward those who
diligently seek Him.
- Those of faith look forward
to a heavenly homeland that God has prepared for us, which is eternal life
in heaven.
- All of faith in God will
receive the promise of the homeland, the rest, and eternal life at the
return of Jesus.
CHAPTER 12
- We should lay aside every
sin that so easily ensnares us and run the race with endurance looking to
Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. (We practice our faith, endure
trials and persecutions, and keep our hope in the promise of resurrection
and eternal life.)
- Jesus is the beginning of
our faith and is the completion of our faith. All things are because of
Him.
- God chastens us to correct
us.
- When God chastens us we
become legitimate children of God, partakers of His holiness, producing
fruit of righteousness, which will lead to eternal life.
- We must pursue peace with
all men and holiness unto God.
- We must be careful to not
fall short of the grace of God and become defiled through bitterness or
sin.
- As Esau could not regain his
birthright and inherit the blessing we too will forfeit our inheritance
and promise of eternal life.
- Through His grace we can
communicate with God in His heavenly tabernacle no longer in fear as they
did before on the mountain.
- We should serve Him
acceptably with reverence and with godly fear.
CHAPTER 13
- Brotherly love should be
practiced to those we know and to the stranger. To take this literally it
refers to angels that God sends to test or influence us (as with Abraham
and Lot in Genesis 18 and 19).
- The Gospel of Christ and the
way to heaven are unchangeable. Do not listen to strange doctrines (vs.
9).
- The sacrifice of praise,
giving thanks, of doing good works, and sharing are offerings that please
God.
- God works in us and makes us
fully ready for every good work and His will through His Spirit.