WHY WAS HEBREWS WRITTEN?
Before We Study the Book, Let's Understand Why It Was Written
TEXT B4 TRADITION — READ FIRST. CONCLUDE LATER.
Before we begin studying Hebrews, we need to ask a question that is often overlooked:
Why was this book written in the first place?
That question matters because every biblical writer addressed real people in real circumstances. We cannot properly understand the answers until we understand the questions, problems, and needs being addressed.
Hebrews is one of the New Testament's most remarkable explanations of Jesus Christ.
It presents Him as God's Son, our great High Priest, the mediator of a better covenant, and the One whose sacrifice accomplishes what repeated animal sacrifices could never accomplish.
But Hebrews is more than an explanation of who Jesus is.
It is also an urgent appeal to people who knew about Christ but needed encouragement to remain faithful to Him.
The writer's message can be summarized in one sentence:
God has spoken through His Son, and what He has accomplished through Jesus is too important to neglect or abandon.
Let's see how the book itself supports that conclusion.
1. Who Wrote Hebrews?
The first thing we must admit is that the book does not identify its human author.
Unlike Paul's letters, Hebrews does not begin by naming the writer.
Over the centuries, Christians have suggested Paul, Barnabas, Apollos, Luke, and several others.
There are reasons people have proposed these names, but none can be established with certainty from the text.
Hebrews 13:23 mentions Timothy, which may suggest a connection with people associated with Paul. But knowing Timothy does not prove that Paul wrote Hebrews.
The language and style also differ from Paul's usual letters, although differences in style alone cannot settle the question.
What can we say confidently?
The writer knew the Old Testament remarkably well. He understood its priesthood, sacrifices, promises, and covenant arrangements. He also knew how to explain their significance in relation to Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 2:3 indicates that the message of salvation had been confirmed to the writer and his readers by those who heard the Lord. This is one reason some interpreters question Pauline authorship, although the verse does not settle the issue by itself.
At the end, the writer describes his work as a "word of exhortation" (Hebrews 13:22).
That expression helps us understand the book's purpose. Hebrews is not merely a collection of theological facts. It is a sustained message intended to strengthen, correct, encourage, and warn its readers.
Our conclusion: We do not know the human author's identity. We do know the message he delivered.
Rather than build our interpretation on a disputed name, we will concentrate on what the text actually says.
2. Who Were the Original Readers?
The traditional title is To the Hebrews.
That title reflects an ancient understanding that the book was addressed to Christians with a Jewish background.
The contents certainly make that possibility attractive.
The writer assumes considerable familiarity with the Old Testament. He discusses Moses, Aaron, Melchizedek, the tabernacle, sacrifices, and God's covenant with Israel.
However, the book itself does not name its recipients or tell us exactly where they lived.
We should therefore distinguish a reasonable historical conclusion from an established fact.
The original readers were clearly people who had received Christian teaching.
Hebrews 3:1 addresses them as holy brothers and sisters who share in a heavenly calling.
Hebrews 5:12 indicates that they had been taught long enough that the writer expected greater maturity from them.
Hebrews 10:32–34 recalls their earlier suffering and faithfulness.
Hebrews 13:7 refers to leaders who had spoken God's word to them.
These statements provide a more secure picture than guesses about their city or ethnic background.
They were people familiar with the Christian message, with a history of faithfulness, who now needed serious encouragement to continue.
That is the audience we can identify from the text.
3. What Were These Christians Experiencing?
We do not have to guess about everything.
Hebrews itself tells us several things about their circumstances.
They had experienced suffering.
Hebrews 10:32–34 reminds them of earlier days when they endured public insults, affliction, imprisonment affecting members of their community, and the loss of possessions.
They had once accepted these hardships because they believed they possessed something better and lasting.
Some had become spiritually sluggish.
Hebrews 5:11 says they had become dull of hearing.
The writer expected them to have matured, but they still needed instruction in elementary matters (5:12–14).
This was not merely a shortage of information. They were failing to respond to what they had already learned.
Some were neglecting Christian fellowship.
Hebrews 10:25 warns against abandoning their gatherings, as some had begun to do.
We are not told every reason for their absence.
Fear, discouragement, spiritual indifference, or other pressures may have contributed. But those are possible explanations, not stated facts.
They were in danger of turning away.
Hebrews 3:12 warns against developing an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
Hebrews 10:35 urges them not to throw away their confidence.
Hebrews 12:3 tells them to consider Jesus so that they will not become weary and lose heart.
Put these passages together.
The readers had suffered. They had once shown courage. But some were becoming discouraged, spiritually immature, or careless about their commitment.
The writer was not addressing an imaginary danger. He was responding to weaknesses already visible among his readers.
That helps explain both the strong warnings and the repeated encouragement.
4. Were They Thinking About Returning to Judaism?
This is an important question because it affects how many people explain the entire book.
A common interpretation is that these were Jewish Christians who were tempted to abandon their faith in Jesus and return to their former Jewish religious life.
There are substantial reasons for that interpretation.
The writer spends considerable time explaining why Christ's priesthood is superior to the Levitical priesthood.
He contrasts the old covenant with the new covenant.
He explains why repeated animal sacrifices could not accomplish what Christ's sacrifice accomplished.
These subjects would have been especially important to readers strongly attached to Israel's earlier covenant arrangements.
But we must recognize a limitation in the evidence.
Hebrews never explicitly says, "Some of you are planning to return to Judaism."
Nor does it describe a particular group of readers preparing to resume temple sacrifices.
Another interpretation is that the readers were primarily experiencing spiritual exhaustion and the danger of abandoning Christian faith, whether or not a formal return to Judaism was being considered.
The book's warnings about drifting, unbelief, neglect, and weariness support that concern directly.
The two explanations are not necessarily incompatible. Readers could have been spiritually discouraged while also being attracted to older religious arrangements.
But the text does not allow us to reconstruct every detail with certainty.
What is certain is more important than what remains uncertain: the writer is urging his readers not to turn away from Jesus Christ.
His explanation of the old covenant and the new covenant serves that purpose.
5. Why Does Hebrews Keep Saying That Jesus Is Better?
One of the most noticeable words in Hebrews is better.
The Greek word is kreittōn, also appearing in the form kreissōn. It means better, superior, or more excellent.
The writer uses this comparison repeatedly.
But he does not simply announce that Jesus is better and expect his readers to accept the statement without evidence.
He develops arguments to explain why.
Consider several examples.
Jesus is superior to the angels — Hebrews 1:4–14
The writer quotes several Old Testament passages to show the unique position of God's Son.
Angels are servants of God.
The Son is addressed in language of royal authority and receives a position that distinguishes Him from the angels.
Jesus provides a better hope — Hebrews 7:19
The writer explains that the Law did not bring the intended worshiper to perfection.
A better hope has been introduced, through which believers draw near to God.
The issue is not whether the Law was evil.
The question is whether its priestly arrangements could provide the final access to God that Christ now provides.
Jesus guarantees a better covenant — Hebrews 7:22; 8:6
The writer explains that Jesus' priesthood is different from the Levitical priesthood.
His priesthood is permanent, and He lives to intercede for those who approach God through Him.
Hebrews 8:6 then describes Him as mediator of a better covenant, established upon better promises.
Christians possess a better and lasting inheritance — Hebrews 10:34
The readers had once accepted the loss of their possessions because they knew they had something better and lasting.
The writer reminds them of what they already believed.
God's people look for a better country — Hebrews 11:16
The faithful people described in Hebrews 11 looked beyond their immediate circumstances toward what God had promised.
Their hope was not limited to earthly possessions or temporary security.
The repeated word better is therefore not an empty slogan.
It expresses a carefully developed argument.
Jesus is better because He accomplishes what the earlier arrangements could not finally accomplish.
That conclusion must be demonstrated from the individual passages, and that is what we will do throughout this series.
6. Does Hebrews Criticize the Old Testament?
This is one of the most important questions in the entire book.
We must distinguish between the Old Testament Scriptures and the earlier covenant arrangements those Scriptures describe.
Hebrews repeatedly quotes the Old Testament as God's authoritative word.
For example:
Hebrews 1 quotes the Psalms to explain the Son's identity and authority.
Hebrews 3–4 uses Psalm 95 to warn against unbelief.
Hebrews 5–7 uses Psalm 110 to explain Christ's priesthood.
Hebrews 8 quotes Jeremiah 31 to explain the promised new covenant.
Hebrews 10 uses Psalm 40 to discuss Christ's obedience and sacrifice.
Hebrews 12 draws upon Old Testament accounts of God's discipline and His presence at Sinai.
The writer is not rejecting these Scriptures.
He uses them as evidence for his conclusions about Jesus.
That is a crucial distinction.
But doesn't Hebrews say the first covenant had faults?
Yes. Hebrews 8:7 says that if the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second.
Hebrews 8:13 says that by speaking of a new covenant, God made the first one obsolete.
Hebrews 10:1 says that the Law had a shadow of the good things to come, rather than the complete reality itself.
We must not weaken these statements.
The writer really does teach that the earlier covenant arrangements were not the final means through which God's people would receive the blessings accomplished by Christ.
But that does not mean God made a mistake when He established them.
The same Old Testament that records the first covenant also contains God's promise of a new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31–34).
In other words, the promise of something new was already part of God's earlier revelation.
The old covenant had a real purpose.
Its priesthood, sacrifices, and sanctuary taught important truths.
But Hebrews argues that those arrangements were temporary and preparatory.
They pointed forward to what God would accomplish through Jesus.
The old covenant was not God's final answer. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment toward which God's plan was moving.
That is different from saying that the Old Testament was wrong.
7. Why Does Hebrews Spend So Much Time Discussing Priests and Sacrifices?
For many modern readers, the chapters about priests, sacrifices, and the tabernacle are among the most difficult parts of Hebrews.
Why does the writer devote so much attention to them?
Because they are essential to his argument about Jesus.
Under the Law of Moses, priests served on behalf of the people.
Sacrifices were offered repeatedly.
The high priest entered the Most Holy Place according to the arrangements God had established.
But Hebrews asks us to consider what those arrangements could finally accomplish.
Hebrews 7:23–25 contrasts the many priests who served because death prevented them from continuing with Jesus, whose priesthood is permanent.
Hebrews 9:11–12 describes Christ entering the greater and more perfect sanctuary through His own blood.
Hebrews 10:1–4 explains that repeated sacrifices could not provide the final removal of sins accomplished through Christ.
Hebrews 10:10–14 contrasts repeated priestly sacrifices with the single offering of Jesus.
The argument is not merely that Jesus is a more impressive priest.
It is that His priesthood and sacrifice accomplish what the earlier system anticipated but could not finally complete.
And that leads to a practical conclusion.
Because Jesus is our great High Priest, believers are encouraged to draw near to God with confidence (Hebrews 4:14–16; 10:19–22).
The writer's detailed teaching about priesthood and sacrifice is therefore not an unrelated theological discussion.
It supports his appeal to remain faithful to Christ.
8. Why Are the Warnings in Hebrews So Serious?
Hebrews contains some of the strongest warnings in the New Testament.
Consider their progression.
Hebrews 2:1–4: Pay careful attention so that you do not drift away.
Hebrews 3:12–14: Beware of an unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
Hebrews 6:4–8: A severe warning concerning those who have received remarkable spiritual privileges and then fall away.
Hebrews 10:26–31: A warning concerning deliberate sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth.
Hebrews 12:25: Do not refuse the One who speaks from heaven.
These warnings cannot simply be ignored.
But neither should we interpret them without considering the writer's encouragement and assurance.
Christians have disagreed over exactly how the warning passages relate to salvation.
Some understand them as warnings that genuine believers can abandon Christ and be lost.
Others understand them as warnings that expose false professions of faith or as means God uses to preserve genuine believers.
Still others understand particular passages in terms of severe judgment without necessarily concluding that eternal salvation has been lost.
Each interpretation must be examined against the actual wording and context.
We should not decide the answer before reading the passages.
Nor should we make the warnings less serious merely because they challenge a theological position we already hold.
The writer expects his readers to take these warnings seriously.
Whatever conclusion we reach about the theological questions, the practical command is unmistakable: do not turn away from Jesus Christ.
When we reach Hebrews 6 and Hebrews 10, we will examine the competing interpretations carefully and test each against the text.
9. Why Does Hebrews Also Offer So Much Encouragement?
If we read only the warning passages, we will misunderstand the tone of Hebrews.
The writer is not simply trying to frighten his readers.
He is trying to help them persevere.
Consider what he says.
Draw near to God.
Hebrews 4:16 invites believers to approach God's throne of grace with confidence because Jesus is their great High Priest.
Hold firmly to your confession.
Hebrews 4:14 and 10:23 encourage Christians to hold fast because God is faithful.
Encourage one another.
Hebrews 3:13 calls for daily encouragement so that sin does not harden hearts.
Hebrews 10:24–25 urges believers to encourage one another and continue meeting together.
Remember your earlier faithfulness.
Hebrews 10:32–34 reminds the readers of their courage during earlier suffering.
Run with endurance.
Hebrews 12:1–3 calls believers to lay aside what hinders them and run the race set before them, keeping their attention on Jesus.
Notice the balance.
The writer warns because the danger is serious.
He encourages because perseverance is possible and because Christ provides the help His people need.
The warnings and encouragement belong together.
Separating them would distort the writer's message.
10. What Does Hebrews Teach About Jesus?
Your original slides correctly emphasize that Hebrews is one of the New Testament's great presentations of Jesus Christ.
But we can make that statement stronger by showing where the book establishes each truth.
Jesus is God's Son. Hebrews 1:1–4 introduces Him as the One through whom God has spoken, the heir of all things, and the One through whom God made the world.
Jesus is greater than Moses. Hebrews 3:1–6 contrasts Moses' faithfulness as a servant with Christ's position as Son over God's house.
Jesus is our great High Priest. Hebrews 4:14–16 explains that He understands human weakness and provides access to God's grace.
Jesus is the priest appointed according to the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 5–7 explains why His priesthood is different from the Levitical priesthood.
Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant. Hebrews 8:6 and 9:15 describe His mediating work.
Jesus offered Himself as the decisive sacrifice for sins. Hebrews 9:26–28 and 10:10–14 explain the significance of His once-for-all offering.
Jesus reigns at God's right hand. Hebrews 1:3, 8:1, and 10:12–13 connect His completed sacrifice with His exalted position.
Jesus is the One upon whom believers must keep their attention. Hebrews 12:1–3 presents Him as the supreme example and source of encouragement for endurance.
These are not disconnected titles.
Together they explain why the writer considers Jesus sufficient for the needs of God's people.
If Jesus is the Son through whom God has spoken, the permanent High Priest, and the mediator of the new covenant, then turning away from Him is not a small matter.
It means turning away from the very One through whom God has provided salvation.
11. What Does It Mean That the Old Testament Was a Shadow?
Hebrews 10:1 describes the Law as having a shadow of the good things to come.
A shadow is not the same as the object that produces it.
But a shadow can reveal something about the reality to which it is connected.
The writer uses this comparison to explain the relationship between earlier covenant arrangements and Christ's completed work.
The sacrifices were real.
The priesthood was real.
The tabernacle was real.
God had given instructions concerning them.
But they were not the final fulfillment of His saving purpose.
Hebrews 9:9–10 explains that the earlier arrangements had limitations and belonged to a time of preparation.
Hebrews 9:11–14 then describes the greater work accomplished through Christ.
We should be careful not to force every detail of the tabernacle or every sacrifice into an elaborate symbolic meaning that the text itself does not support.
Hebrews tells us which comparisons the writer wants to make.
Our responsibility is to follow those comparisons rather than invent additional ones.
The strongest interpretation is the one the writer actually demonstrates.
12. What Did the Writer Want His Readers to Do?
We have considered the writer's teaching.
Now we must ask what response he wanted.
The answer is found throughout the book.
He wanted his readers to pay attention to what God had spoken through His Son (2:1).
He wanted them to hold firmly to their confidence in Christ (3:6, 14).
He wanted them to approach God through their great High Priest (4:14–16).
He wanted them to grow toward maturity rather than remain spiritually immature (5:11–6:3).
He wanted them to encourage one another (10:24–25).
He wanted them to endure suffering without abandoning their faith (10:32–39).
He wanted them to keep looking to Jesus (12:1–3).
These instructions help us understand why the writer spends so much time explaining Christ's superiority.
His teaching about Jesus is intended to produce continued faithfulness to Jesus.
That is the connection between the doctrinal explanations and the practical exhortations.
13. What Does Hebrews Mean for Christians Today?
We must begin with the original readers.
They lived in circumstances different from ours.
They knew the religious world of the Old Testament more directly than many Christians do today.
Their pressures and struggles were not necessarily identical to ours.
But the central issue remains important.
People can become discouraged.
They can grow tired of doing what is right.
They can begin to neglect what they once valued.
They can allow other loyalties to become more important than Christ.
Some may be attracted to religious traditions, familiar ceremonies, respected teachers, or institutions that promise security.
But we must not assume that every tradition or ceremony is wrong simply because it is old or familiar.
The question is whether it agrees with the teaching of Christ and His apostles.
Hebrews directs our attention to the Son through whom God has spoken.
It calls us to examine our confidence, our worship, our endurance, and our understanding of what Christ has accomplished.
The answer to spiritual weariness is not to look for something that replaces Jesus. It is to understand more fully who Jesus is and what He has done.
That is the continuing importance of Hebrews.
14. How Should We Study Hebrews?
As we begin this series, I suggest four questions for every passage.
First: What does the passage actually say?
Read the words carefully. Notice the comparisons, quotations, warnings, and conclusions.
Second: What did the writer mean to communicate to his original readers?
Consider what has already been said and how the passage contributes to the larger argument.
Third: What evidence does the writer provide?
When he quotes Scripture, examine the original passage. When he makes a comparison, identify what is being compared and why.
Fourth: What does this teaching require of Christians today?
Only after understanding the original message should we consider its application.
And one more rule will guide our work:
A conclusion cannot be stronger than the evidence supporting it.
If Hebrews clearly teaches something, we should teach it confidently.
If a conclusion depends on inference, we should explain the reasoning.
If serious questions remain unanswered, we should admit that.
Our purpose is not to defend a tradition at any cost.
Our purpose is to understand the message God has given us through Scripture.
15. The Heart of Hebrews
We began by asking:
Why was Hebrews written?
The evidence points to a clear answer.
The writer addressed people who had received the Christian message and had experienced difficulties that threatened their continued faithfulness.
He reminded them that God had spoken through His Son.
He explained why Jesus' priesthood, sacrifice, and covenant accomplish what the earlier arrangements could not finally accomplish.
He warned them about the danger of turning away.
And he encouraged them to persevere because Christ is worthy of their confidence.
We can summarize the book this way:
Because God has given us His Son, we must not neglect Him, turn away from Him, or place our confidence in something that cannot accomplish what He has accomplished.
Hebrews is not merely about leaving something behind.
It is about holding firmly to Someone.
That Someone is Jesus Christ.
Questions Worth Considering
What does Hebrews actually tell us about the circumstances of its original readers?
Why does the writer repeatedly compare Jesus with the earlier covenant arrangements?
How can the Old Testament be God's word while its covenant arrangements are described as temporary?
Why does Hebrews combine such serious warnings with such strong encouragement?
What difference does it make to know that Jesus is our permanent High Priest?
These are questions we will continue to examine throughout the book.
Continue Studying Hebrews
Next Study: WHY IS JESUS GREATER THAN THE PROPHETS? — Hebrews 1:1–4
God spoke through the prophets in earlier times. But Hebrews begins by announcing that God has now spoken through His Son.
What makes that revelation different?
And what does Hebrews mean when it describes the Son as the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being?
These questions introduce the remarkable argument of Hebrews chapter 1.
Suggested Going Deeper Study: WHO WROTE HEBREWS, WHEN WAS IT WRITTEN, AND WHO RECEIVED IT?
An examination of the evidence concerning authorship, audience, date, destination, and historical circumstances—distinguishing what Scripture states from what scholars reasonably infer.
TEXT B4 TRADITION
READ FIRST. CONCLUDE LATER.
Study the text. Examine the evidence. Test the conclusions.
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