The Bare Facts --
Overviews and Outlines --
Bible Studies: Whole Book -- Part of Book -- Thematic --
Sermons -- Bibliographies
If you can read Hebrews without getting your blood pumping, then you need to check your pulse. In these pages, we are treated to a rousing view of a spiritual, symbolic, and triumphant Christ. We see the entire Bible, from the days of Adam to the close of time brought together in the symbolism of the Old Testament and in the sacrifice of Christ. Here Jesus is "the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word."
Left: Leaf from a 12th century Byzantine manuscript of Hebrews.
The Bare Facts
Who: The author of Hebrews is unknown. Many people have
ascribed it to Paul, but such a conclusion must be just as speculative as those
who assert that two or three hands wrote Isaiah. In the end we can know
very little about this author except that he was an apostolic contemporary, a
person of considerable influence.
Where: Nobody is quite certain who wrote the book, from where,
or to whom. Happily, this gives scholars plenty of room for speculation.
When: Paul died in A.D. 64., a fact of which Hebrews seems to be
aware. The letter 1 Clement, which quotes liberally from Hebrews, was
written no later than A.D. 96. Therefore we can conservatively place the
date of this letter between those two dates.
What: More than any other book in the Bible, Hebrews
demonstrates the way in which Jesus fulfilled the Law and the ways in which the
Law and Temple system had prefigured Jesus' sacrifice.
Memorable Passages
1:1-4
The definition of Christ
4:14-16
Our great High Priest
11:1-38
The Roll Call of Faith
Overviews and Outlines
- Outline of Hebrews
- A Bible Links exclusive. This is an outline of the epistle that I
created while studying it way back in 2002.
- The Letter to the
Hebrews
- An introduction and outline by Barry Smith.
- Hebrews:
Introduction, Argument, and Outline
- A study guide by Daniel Wallace.
- The Argument
of Hebrews
- Hampton Keathley IV's thorough overview. It's much more than an
outline, but not a thorough study.
- Bible Basics
- A very brief list of facts, but it includes a wav file pronouncing the
book's title.
- Easton
Bible Dictionary
- The article from M.G. Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary.
- Catholic
Encyclopedia: Epistle to the Hebrews
- The appropriate entry from the public domain edition of this venerable
reference work.
- Columbia Encyclopedia:
Hebrews
- A brief article from the 2001 edition of this reference work.
- Bible Explained
- This is a commentary by an energetic fellow named Ted Wade. He
provides brief notes on each chapter and most verses for the entire Bible.
-
Luther Productions
- A very brief overview including key verses.
- The Blue
Letter Bible
- An excellent source for text, cross-references, concordance, language
helps, commentaries, and more.
Bible Studies: Whole Book
- Hebrews Notes
- A Bible Links exclusive. These are the notes that I maintained while
working through Hebrews, a chapter per day, back in 2002. They're
largely unedited and lightly researched. Therefore, I see them more
useful for ideas than for hard information.
- IVP New Testament
Commentary
- This is the Ray Stedman-authored IVP commentary.
- Hebrews: Jesus,
All Glorious Saviour
- A lengthy, verse-level commentary and set of notes by David Griffiths, a
native of Wales who has ministered for many years in the United States through
the Assemblies of God.
- The Five
Warnings of Hebrews
- A study in eight parts by John Lawrence.
- Executable
Outlines
- Thirty-six outline-based lessons by Mark A. Copeland.
- Love the Lord
Bible Studies: Hebrews
- A 36-lesson study with questions from an Arkansas-based ministry.
They seem orthodox enough, although the statement of faith makes me wonder if
they're not into prosperity gospel teachings.
- Talks for Growing
Christians
- A nifty study, which includes a brief sermon, question, and answers.
A project from Talks for Growing Christians.
- John
Calvin's Commentary
- The commentary of the 16th-century
French
reformer.
- Geneva Notes
- In 1599, English Puritans, working in Geneva, published the first study
Bible. These are the notes from that edition.
- Coffman's
Commentary
- A verse-by-verse commentary by Dr. James Burton Coffman, a leading Church
of Christ scholar.
- Matthew Henry's
Commentary
- The chapter-by-chapter 1712 commentary by
the great English Puritan writer..
-
John Wesley Notes
- Over his career, the
founder of Methodism maintained notes on the entire
Bible.
-
JFB Commentary
- The comments of Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown from
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871).
- Clarke's
Commentary
- The first chapter for this book from
Adam Clarke's nineteenth-century
commentary.
- John Gill's Exposition of the
Entire Bible
- The commentary of the
17th century Baptist theologian and preacher.
- Scofield
Reference Notes
- The notes from the 1917 edition of the great study Bible. From a
dispensationalist viewpoint.
-
Introductory Lectures on Paul's Epistles: Hebrews
- A set of lectures by William Kelly.
-
Comments on the Epistle to the Hebrews
- A book-length commentary by L.M. Grant.
-
Comments on Hebrews
- A lengthy commentary by F.B. Hole.
- Barne's Notes on the
New Testament
- Educated at Princeton seminary, Albert Barnes was a dedicated student of the
Bible. Though passed over by the biographical sketches of influential
theological writers, his notes on the New Testament continue to be quite popular
even today.
- John S. C. Abbott and
Jacob Abbott Illustrated New Testament
- Well known throughout the late 1800's for their
prolific writings on various subjects, John and Jacob Abbott decided to put to
paper their personal study and translation of the original Greek New Testament.
Included are 50 woodcut illustrations from the original printing.
- John Darby's Synopsis
of the New Testament
- These synopses were originally written and
published in French and introduced book-by-book. Only the New Testament is
available.
- Treasury
of Scripture Knowledge
- A combination brief commentary and thorough cross-reference.
Developed by
R.A. Torrey.
- David Guzik's Commentaries on the Bible
- David Guzik, a former senior pastor at Clavary Chapel Simi Valley in
California, provides a verse-by-verse commentary. Currently Guzik directs the
Calvary Chapel Bible College in Siegen, Germany.
- Exploring the Word of God:
Hebrews
- A 9-part study from the Worldwide Church of God, a denomination with a
checkered past but an exciting present.
- The Jerome Bible
Commentary
- A commentary by a Catholic doctor, Jerome Dominguez, M.D. Is English
isn't perfect, but you have to admire his energy. Although Catholic in
orientation, this source has some good material for study.
Bible Studies: Part of Book
- On
the Words, The Only-Begotten Son of God (1:1)
- A lecture by St. Cyril
-
Of Good Angels (1:14)
- A sermon by John Wesley.
-
Morning and Evening (1:14)
- One of
C.H.
Spurgeon's devotions.
-
The Eschatology of
Hebrews 2:1-4
- An article from Kerux by Lane Tipton. Subtitled "A Critical
Appraisal of the Theonomic Text.
- Hebrews 2:3-4 and
the Sign Gifts
- A lesson by Daniel Wallace.
-
Morning and Evening (2:14)
- One of
C.H. Spurgeon's devotions.
-
Morning and Evening (2:18)
- One of
C.H. Spurgeon's devotions.
-
Battling Unbelief Together (3:12-14)
- A sermon by John Piper.
- Not to
be Discouraged (4:9)
- A sermon by George Whitefield.
-
Morning and Evening (4:9)
- One of
C.H. Spurgeon's devotions.
-
Wandering but Not Lost (4:9-16)
- An article from Word and World by Stanley Olson. Also covers
5:1-10, 7:23-28, and 9:24-28.
- Guarding the
Entrance to the Place of Rest (4:12-13)
- An article from Kerux by Robert Van Kooten.
- Christ, Our High
Priest in Heaven (4:14)
- An article from Kerux by Richard B. Gaffin, Jr.
- Jesus as High
Priest in Hebrews (5:1-10; 6:19-8:2)
- A long article by Barry Smith.
-
The Ministerial Office (5:4)
-
Morning and Evening
(5:7)
- One of
C.H. Spurgeon's devotions.
-
Morning and Evening
(5:8)
- One of
C.H. Spurgeon's devotions.
- The
Danger of Dull Hearing (5:11-6:8)
- A sermon by John Piper.
-
On Perfection (6:1)
- A sermon by John Wesley.
-
When is Saving
Repentance Impossible? (6:4-8)
- A sermon by John Piper.
- The
Full Assurance of Hope to the End (6:9-12)
- A sermon by John Piper.
- The
Doctrine of Perseverance (6:11-12)
- A sermon by John Piper.
- Jesus:
Mediator of a Better Covenant, part 1 (8:6-13)
- A sermon by John Piper.
- Jesus:
Mediator of a Better Covenant, part 2 (8:6-13)
- A sermon by John Piper.
- Christ Our
Great High Priest (9:11-15)
- A sermon by Martin Luther.
-
Morning and Evening
(9:20)
- One of
C.H. Spurgeon's devotions.
-
Morning and Evening
(9:22)
- One of
C.H. Spurgeon's devotions.
-
On Faith (11:1)
- A sermon by John Wesley.
-
On the Discoveries of Faith (11:1)
- A sermon by John Wesley.
-
On Faith (11:6)
- A sermon by John Wesley.
-
Morning and Evening
(11:13)
- One of
C.H. Spurgeon's devotions.
- A Sermon on
Hebrews 12:1-3
- A cleverly titled piece from Kerux by Geerhardus Vos.
-
Morning and Evening
(12:2)
- One of
C.H. Spurgeon's devotions.
-
Morning and Evening
(12:11)
- One of
C.H. Spurgeon's devotions.
-
Morning and Evening
(12:23)
- One of
C.H. Spurgeon's devotions.
-
Morning and Evening
(12:24)
- One of
C.H. Spurgeon's devotions.
- The New Heavens
and the New (12:26-29)
- An article by Charles Dennison from Kerux.
-
Morning and Evening
(12:27)
- One of
C.H. Spurgeon's devotions.
- Our God is a
Consuming Fire (12:29)
- A sermon by the 17th century preacher, Robert Traill.
-
Morning and Evening
(13:5)
- One of
C.H. Spurgeon's devotions.
-
Morning and Evening
(13:5)
- One of
C.H. Spurgeon's devotions.
- A Sermon on
Hebrews 13:8
- A cleverly titled piece from Kerux by Geerhardus Vos.
-
Morning and Evening
(13:13)
- One of
C.H. Spurgeon's devotions.
-
On Obedience to Pastors (13:17)
- A sermon by John Wesley.
Sermons
- Hebrews: All
About Faith
- The appropriate sermon from
Ray C. Stedman's Adventuring through the Bible series.
- Expository Studies in
Hebrews
- Fourteen sermons by Ray Stedman.
- John Piper
- A series from 1996. You'll have to scroll down a bit to find the
beginning of this series. He continues the series during 1997, so you
can find the remaining sermons
on this link.
- St. John Chrysostom
- A set of 34 homilies by this
great Eastern preacher.
- Sermons on Hebrews
- In excess of fifty sermons by Don Fortner
- Sermons from
Hebrews
- Nine sermons by Australian Peter Blackburn.
- Hebrews: The New
Covenant Administration of Christ
- A set of 50 sermons by Max Forsythe. They end, inexplicably in
chapter 9.
- Sermons by Robert Brow
- Five sermons, all on some aspect of faith. You'll have to scroll
down to the bottom of the page to reach these sermons.
- Ken
Gehrels
- Links to 4 sermons. Scroll down a bit to find the appropriate
entries.
- C.H. Spurgeon
- A listing of sermons, some of which are available online, by the
great British Baptist.
- Sermon
Outlines
- Links to sermon outlines from
SermonLinks.
Articles, Books, and Bibliographies
- The Pivotal
Epistle--Hebrews
- An article by Chuck Missler.
-
Christ of Hebrews and Other Religions
- An article from JETS by Grant Osborne.
- Brotherly
Love and the High Priest Christology of Hebrews
- A JBL article by Patrick Gray.
-
Two-Age Bibliography
- A list of recommended sources, mostly scholarly in nature, provided by a
website devoted to the "Redemptive Historical" school of theology.
Memorable Passages