Current Mood: Thoughtful

Although the book of Hebrews has been greatly ignored by Christian scholars and laymen alike, it contains some of the most important, basic doctrines in the Bible. Spiritual subjects that are scarcely mentioned by other writers have been fully explained by the author of Hebrews. Perhaps the reason for its general neglect is twofold. First, it leans very heavily upon Old Testament imagery and typology. Many modem Christians seem to feel that it doesn’t fit in with the tone of gospel freedom enunciated in Paul’s other epistles. Secondly, the book may be shunned because it contains some very clear statements that seem to conflict with positions held by the majority of Protestant Christians. Three of those areas of controversy are woven throughout the book of Hebrews. Although at first glance they may seem to be quite unrelated to each other, these three subjects are very closely tied together. The nature of Christ’s humanity, the high priestly work of Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary, and the subject of perfection are interrelated themes of truth in the book of Hebrews. The first two chapters are devoted in general to the position and nature of Christ before and after His incarnation. Chapter three begins to talk about the role of Jesus as the true High Priest in contrast to the earthly ministry of human priests. That theme carries through the next ten chapters, and within those chapters the term “perfect,” or forms of it, are used nine times. Now let us try to discover how these three major threads of doctrine—Christ’s human nature, His priesthood, and the perfection of God’s people—are really part of the same great truth. Click on the image to read the rest of the PDF File.