HEBREWS
Now that my commentaries on Paul’s three letters have been given, it is time to briefly comment on the book of Hebrews, which I claim has been used as a major proof-text for the standard evangelical story. A good place to begin is to argue that Hebrews understands Habakkuk 2:4, which it quotes, in the same way that I have argued that Paul understands it. In Hebrews 10:38, we read:
“And my righteous one by faith will live.”
I want to argue that Hebrews understands this verse as follows: life is a reward for those who are righteous and faithful. The verse is not saying that one lives by faith, as opposed to say works. The context certainly favors my reading. Both Hebrews 10:35 and 10:36 say basically the same thing:
We could add the following verses as having the same pattern:
The pattern of obedience followed by reward is also applied to Jesus:
What is especially interesting is how this pattern is followed in verses that would be considered more related to atonement, though at least some verses in the last table would qualify for that too:
1:3
10:12
Having made a purification for sins
Offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins
Sat down at the right hand of the majesty
Sat down at the right hand of God
A case can be made that the reason why a ‘purification for sins’ and a ‘sacrifice for sins’ are rewarded is that they have to do with Jesus’ obedience.
Be that as it may, Jesus’ obedience is linked with salvation however that is achieved. In Hebrews 2:10, Jesus is said to be both the pioneer of our salvation and to be perfected through sufferings. Though the text does not establish any causal relationship between these phrases, it is evident that they are directly related to each other. Similarly, in Hebrews 10:8-9, Jesus is made perfect through obedient suffering with the implication that this allows Jesus to be the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him. The latter text is preceded by a quote by Jesus from Psalm 40:608 (Heb. 10:5-7).
“Sacrifice and Offering you did not desire, but a body prepared for me. Whole burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not take pleasure in. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God.’”
The temporal “then” (tote) seems to imply that Jesus’ obedience is what takes the place of the animal sacrifices.
Though the blood of Jesus is involved in purification, as is evident in Hebrews 9:12-14, Jesus is viewed more as the High Priest who offers the blood. Furthermore, it is the High Priest who is presented as obedient:
· 4:15 without sin
· 7:26 holy, innocent, undefiled, having been separated from sinners
· 9:14 blameless
This last verse (Heb. 9:14, see Lev. 14:10) could refer to Jesus as sacrificial victim, but even here it probably refers to Jesus’ obedience (see 1 Pet. 1:19), and it is this obedience that cleanses disobedience (sins).
It is my contention that the mention of Jesus as an animal-like sacrifice in Hebrews is only metaphorical. What leads me to this conclusion is that Jesus is likened to more than one type of sacrifice. For example, not only is Jesus’ sacrifice likened to the purification sacrifice, it is also likened to the ashes of a heifer (Heb. 9:13), a ritual found in Numbers 19:1-22. Also, the blood of Jesus serves to inaugurate the new covenant (Heb. 9:16-22), just as Moses inaugurated the Sinai covenant with blood (Ex. 24:3-8). However, as I mentioned in my introduction, it is not clear how forgiveness figures in the covenant sacrifice, for it is not mentioned. It is best to say that the New Covenant involves forgiveness of sins but that this forgiveness is brought about by Jesus’ faithfulness and that the blood that is naturally involved in crucifixion is only metaphorically applied to animal-like sacrifice. The metaphor works because animal-like sacrifice also dealt with sins.
My fellow evangelicals no doubt put a lot of weight on Hebrews 9:22: “…without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” In my introduction, I cast doubt on the maximal interpretation of this verse. I gave examples where there was forgiveness without animal-like sacrifice. There is no reason why scripture cannot contain hyperbole. Compare Hebrews 9:22 with the following statement: “you cannot win the Super Bowl without a great quarterback”. We can agree that this statement can be true even if there existed a Super Bowl winning team who did not have a great quarterback. Again, I refer to scripture itself: in Acts 17:21 we are told that all the Athenians and foreigners living there did nothing but to say and hear something new. This verse cannot be interpreted maximally and make sense.