I N D E X
AUTHORSHIP
EPISTLE
HEBREWS
15
OF THE
TO THE
and ab uno ad omnes. They suppose that Philo's mantic view of inspiration must be the reason why he is so little
concerned with the secondary human authors and then suppose that our author's insistence on the uniquely divine
authority of Scripture must be due to the same cause.
`On the contrary, the facts which have been adduced above show that, whereas the mode of Scriptural citation in
our epistle furnished no positive argument against its Pauline authorship, that mode of citation coincides with
Pauline practice more than once, and is by no means Alexandrian rather than Palestinian'.
Parallel passages and doctrine in Hebrews and Paul's epistles.
We have seen that the figure of a race or contest (agon) which is characteristic of Paul is found elsewhere only in
Hebrews. `Ye did run well; who did hinder you?' (Gal. 5:7). `Let us run with patience the race set before us'.
(Heb. 12:1. See also 1 Cor. 9:24-27; Phil. 3:13-15). There are remarkable parallels between the doctrine of
Galatians and Hebrews. We have seen the emphasis on the old and new covenants:
`And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was 430 years
after, cannot disannul ...' (Gal. 3:17).
`For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a free woman ... which things
are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage ...
but Jerusalem which is above is free ...' (Gal. 4:22-31).
`But now hath He obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also He is the mediator of a better covenant
... for if that first covenant had been faultless ...' (Heb. 8:6-13).
`For this cause He is the mediator of the new testament (covenant) ...' (Heb. 9:15-20; 12:24).
`This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord ...' (Heb. 10:16).
In both Galatians and Hebrews a mediator is stressed (Gal. 3:19,20; Heb. 8:6; 9:15; 12:24) and such argument is
not found elsewhere. In both, the New Jerusalem figures prominently (Gal. 4:26; Heb. 11:10; 12:22), and apart from
the vision of it that John describes in Revelation, this city is not mentioned anywhere else in the New Testament. In
both, the characteristic Pauline doctrine of perfecting or going on to maturity is stressed, `Having begun in the Spirit,
are ye now made perfect (epiteleo) by the flesh?' (Gal. 3:3). `Let us go on unto perfection' (Heb. 6:1). Teleioo and
its cognates occur no less than 24 times in Hebrews. In fact these give its very doctrine, and without this, any
exposition goes astray and misses the point. Reaching maturity or the goal, through trial and discipline, or missing
it, is the essence of this letter. For the Israel redeemed from Egypt, the goal was Canaan; for the Hebrew believer to
whom the Hebrew epistle was addressed, it was the heavenly Jerusalem (Heb. 11:10,14-16; 12:22), which finally
finds its location on the new earth (Rev. 21:10). Telos occurs five times (Heb. 3:6,14; 6:8,11; 7:3); teleios twice
(Heb. 5:14; 9:11); teleioo, nine times (Heb. 2:10; 5:9; 7:19,28; 9:9 ; 10:1,14; 11:40; 12:23); teleiosis once (Heb.
7:11); teleiotes once (Heb. 6:1) and teleiotes once (Heb. 12:2); sunteleo once (Heb. 8:8); sunteleia once (Heb. 9:26);
epiteleo twice (Heb. 8:5; 9:6) and teleutao once (Heb. 11:22). The whole discourse revolves around the things
which can or cannot perfect or lead to maturity.
Developing from this is the antithesis between babyhood and adulthood, which is likewise peculiarly Pauline and
is found elsewhere only in Hebrews.
`And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I
have fed you with milk, and not with meat ...' (1 Cor. 3:1,2).
`For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first
principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat ... for he is a
babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age (teleios) ...' (Heb. 5:12-14).
Compare also Ephesians 4:13,14, `... till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of
God, unto a perfect (full grown) man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we henceforth be
no more children (babes)'. Also 1 Corinthians 14:20, `Brethren, be not children in understanding: ... but in
understanding be men (margin, perfect or of a ripe age)'.