Notes Intended For An Exposition Of The Epistle To The Hebrews

This book is a series of notes and commentaries on the biblical Epistle to the Hebrews, written by James Alexander Haldane, a Scottish theologian and minister. The notes provide a detailed analysis of each chapter of the Epistle and offer insights into its historical context, themes, and underlying message. The book is a valuable resource for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of this important work of Christian literature. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Although the Book of Hebrews "is not exactly what most of us would regard as a user-friendly book," notes Donald Hagner, "Hebrews has always been popular among Christians." Encountering the Book of Hebrews was written to help students more fully appreciate the complexities of this favorite section of Scripture. Hagner begins by exploring introductory issues (e.g., historical backgrounds, author, audience, date, purpose, structure, genre) and overarching themes (e.g., heavenly archetypes and earthly copies, the use of the Old Testament, the attitude toward Judaism). The heart of the book then offers a chapter-by-chapter exposition of Hebrews. Unlike commentaries, it does not try to be exhaustive--examining all details and answering all questions--but instead guides students to the issues that are most important for their study of this difficult book. Hagner concludes with a final look at the contribution of Hebrews to the New Testament, New Testament theology, the church, and the individual Christian. As with other volumes in the Encountering Biblical Studies series, Encountering the Book of Hebrews is designed for classroom use and includes a number of helpful features, including further-reading sections, key terms, chapter objectives, and outlines along with numerous sidebars and illustrations.

This book seeks to fill a lacuna in studies of the Epistle to the Hebrews, namely, the writer's theology of the Mosaic Law, which is seen most clearly in the doctrinal center of the book, 7:1-10:18. Joslin concludes that for the writer of Hebrews the work of Christ has transformed the Law, and that this transformation involves both its fulfillment and internalization in the New Covenant; the Law has forever been affected christologically. As such, there are continuous and discontinuous aspects of the Law that turn on the hinge of Christ, the writer's chief 'hermeneutical principle'.