Hebrews: A Comprehensive Final

A Final Exam

Submitted to Dr. Fred Chay

Phoenix Seminary

Scottsdale, Arizona

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for

Hebrews

by

Troy A. Griffitts

15-April-2004

1. Give the overall structure of the book of Hebrews, similar to the one the professor used in explaining the book as a whole (5 points).

God's King Son 1:5-4:16

Christ: Exalted

Warning 1: 2:1-4: Don't Neglect Our Salvation

Christ: Our Captain

Warning 2: 3:1-4:16: Don't Harden Your Heart And Miss The Rest

God's Priest Son 5:1-10:39

Christ: Qualified

Warning 3: 5:11-6:20: Warning Against Permanent Dullness

The Better High Priest

Warning 4: 10:19-29: Warning Against Willful Sin.

Faith Response 11:1-12:29

Faith Examples

Final Encouragements

Warning 5: 12:12-29: Don't Neglect His Speaking

Pastoral Prologue 13

2. Compare and contrast the warnings found in chapter 6 with those found in chapter 10. You may use your Bible for this question (10 points).

	Hebrews 6	Hebrews 10
Encouragement to continue on / advance	5:11 – 6:3	10:19 – 10:25
Disobedience staged	6:4 – 6:6	10:25 – 10:26
Shame to Christ	6:6	10:29
Judgment	6:6 – 6:8	10:27 – 10:31
Call to remembrance of their former sacrifices	6:9 – 6:10	10:32 – 10:34
Encouragement to continue on / advance	6:11 – 6:12	10:35 – 10:36
Examples of Faith	6:13 –	11:1 –

Both also are riddled with pastoral confidence-- 6:9, 10:39

3. Explain three views in detail of how the warning passage in chapter 10 is interpreted (20 points).

Calvinist: To non-believers warning of eternal damnation if they do not truly believe.

Arminian: To believers warning of eternal damnation if they do not hold fast their faith to the end.

Rewards: To believers warning of great loss (but not of eternal damnation) in the coming Kingdom-- specifically their role and responsibilities reigning with Christ-- if they are not faithful here.

4. Explain the argument of chapter 8 through chapter 10:25, and how the issue of house, copies, and shadows fit together. Also integrate your answer with the earlier chapter in Hebrews that is associated with this (20 points).

Using Platonic imagery the author of Hebrews describes Christ, His Priesthood, and the True Heavens as the Forms, and the Old Testament Law and sacrifices, the Aaronic priesthood, and deliverance from earthy things and lands here (e.g. Egypt and the Promised Land), as merely the shadows. These first things merely pointed to that which was to come. Even within the shadows themselves there were signs that they would pass away. For example, the outer tabernacle, while it still stands, shows that people will not be able to enter the Holy of Holies, but only a priest for them.

The blood that was offered from bulls and goats could not truly take away sins, or else they would have ceased to be offered. But the Form, Christ, was offered up once for all, and sprinkles our hearts with an eternal clean conscience, so that we might boldly enter the Holy of Holies, by His offering for us.

In Chapter 3, Moses is pictured ruling over his household, relating to the law and tabernacle-- the shadows. Christ is then shown to rule over His house-- the true anti-type-- and Who's house we are, if we hold fast our faith in His True Sacrifice.

5. Explain how the new covenant that is used in chapter 8 fits in with Jeremiah 31 (5 points).

The new covenant accomplishes a true washing of our hearts and conscience. It gives us a new birth. We are made new creatures. Jeremiah talks of a day when God will write His Law on our hearts. It goes on to speak of the entire nation knowing God. “No longer will they say, 'Know God,' for they will all know Me.” The Form of the shadow Israel exists as the new house “Who's house we are...” if we intimately know God. Paul, a likely co-author of Hebrews, ends the last few verses of another of His letters (Galatians) speaking of the 'Israel of God', contrasting with the Israel who was trying to mandate the old Law on the people.

6. Explain why Melchizedek is selected as an illustration and example in chapter 7 (5 points).

Melchizedek was traditionally thought to have had no lineage. This could merely have meant no significant ancestor line or possibly, literally, an endless life. He was before the law, and Abraham (Israel's greatest father) brought tithes to him.

This is significant in that:

It shows that the promise is before, and superior to, the Law.

It associates with Christ's endless life. As prophesied by David, Christ would remain a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

It differentiates Christ's Priesthood from the Aaronic priesthood.

7. Explain the structural arrangement and argument in chapter 11 regarding faith (10 points).

Chapter 11 cites many heroes of old, and shows how the great things they accomplished-- all of which would have been very familiar and cherished by the hearers of this letter-- were all essentially based on their faith.

It first speaks about how some lives were triumphant in their faith, and then goes on to show how some sacrificed their lives in their faith.

It begins with Abel and later in Chapter 12 Abel is used in conclusion.

8. Explain the theology of inheritance behind the illustration of Esau found in Hebrews 12 (20 points).

The firstborn of a Jewish household was entitled to a double portion of the household inheritance.

Esau sold his firstborn birthright to his brother for a mere pot of soup.

The author of Hebrews encourages the readers to not sell their birthright for worthless elementary things of this world.

He stresses that Esau was not given place for repentance, even though, afterwards, he diligently sought it. This seems to relate very closely with the other warnings in this book, especially Chapter 6.

2004-04-15T12:26:14