Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

This dissertation contends that interpreters have underestimated assurance of salvation in the Letter to the Hebrews and the author's confidence in his recipients' salvation. Chapter 1 considers the history of research, examining how several recent commentators and interpreters have understood the warnings and assurance in the letter. Special attention is given to their interpretation of the perfection of believers and the new covenant promises, as well as the author's confidence, God's promise, and the believer's hope in Hebrews 6:9-20. Chapter 2 examines the concept of perfection in Hebrews--with respect to Christ and believers--and specifically considers its relationship to the promises of the new covenant as prophesied in Jeremiah 31, quoted in Hebrews 8:8-12 and 10:16-17. I analyze several relevant texts, including 3:7-4:13; 7:11-28; 8:1-13; 9:1-10; 10:1-18, 22; 11:39-40; 12:18-24; and 13:20-21, and consider implications for assurance of salvation. Chapter 3 provides an exegetical analysis of Hebrews 6:9-20, seeking to understand the author's confidence in the recipients and the contribution the passage makes to assurance of salvation in Hebrews. Chapter 4 offers an explanation of the warnings of Hebrews that can account for the findings of chapters 2 and 3. I consider and evaluate the three most common interpretations of the warnings: the loss-of-rewards view, the false-believer view, and the loss-of-salvation view. Building on this, I present the "means-of-salvation" view, responding to criticisms of the view and demonstrating how it best integrates the warnings with the passages and themes that promote Christian assurance. Thus, I defend the thesis that interpreters of Hebrews have greatly underestimated assurance of salvation in the letter (1) by demonstrating that the author implicitly affirms his readers can have assurance of salvation in light of the sacrificial work of Christ and (2) by demonstrating that the means-of-salvation view offers the best means of integrating assurance of salvation with the warnings against Christian apostasy in the letter.

<p>The New Testament book known as the epistle to the Hebrews contains little obvious reference to Jesus' resurrection. Modern interpreters generally account for this relative silence by noting that the author's soteriological and christological concerns have led him to emphasize Jesus' death and exaltation while ignoring, spiritualizing, or even denying his resurrection. In particular, the writer's metaphorical appeal to the Yom Kippur sacrifice, with its dual emphasis on the slaughter of the victim and the presentation of the victim's blood by the high priest, allows him to explain the salvific significance of Jesus' death and exaltation. The crucifixion can be likened to the slaughter of the victim, while Jesus' exaltation in heaven can be likened to the high priest entering the holy of holies. In this way the cross can be understood as an atoning sacrifice. Such a model leaves little room for positive or distinct reflection on the soteriological or christological significance of the resurrection. </p> <p>This study argues that the soteriology and high-priestly Christology the author develops depend upon Jesus' bodily resurrection and ascension into heaven. The work begins with a survey of positions on Jesus' resurrection in Hebrews. I then present a case for the presence and role of Jesus' bodily resurrection in the text. First, I demonstrate that the writer's argument in Heb 1-2 for the elevation of Jesus above the angelic spirits assumes that Jesus has his humanity--his blood and flesh--with him in heaven. Second, I show that in Heb 5-7 the writer identifies Jesus' resurrection to an indestructible life as the point when Jesus became a high priest. Third, I explain how this thesis makes coherent the author's consistent claims in Heb 8-10 that Jesus presented his offering to God in heaven. I conclude that Jesus' crucifixion is neither the place nor the moment of atonement for the author of Hebrews. Rather, in keeping with the equation in the Levitical sacrificial system of the presentation of blood to God with the presentation of life, Jesus obtained atonement where and when the writer says--when he presented himself in his ever-living, resurrected humanity before God in heaven. Jesus' bodily resurrection is, therefore, the hinge around which the high-priestly Christology and soteriology of Hebrews turns.</p> / Dissertation

This thesis deals with the Christology of the book of Hebrews, specifically the relationship between the Christological categories of "Son" and "high priest". It is argued here that the rationale for the introduction of a priestly Christology has been insufficiently considered in previous scholarly work on Hebrews Furthermore, in previous studies insufficient consideration has been given to the way in which the interrelationship of the categories of sonship and priesthood functions in the rhetorical structure of Hebrews. This thesis argues that a form of "second Adam" Christology lies behind the Christological thought of Hebrews. It consequently endeavours to establish the rationale for the introduction of priestly Christology by exploring those "second Adam" ideas. Until the 1970s historical-critical methodologies dominated in the study of Hebrews. This is one of the reasons for the lack of scholarly consideration of the interrelationship of the priestly and filial Christological categories in the rhetoric of Hebrews. This thesis underscores the deficiencies of the historical-critical approaches to Hebrews as highlighted by the paucity of results such approaches have produced. It is argued that rhetorical criticism is an appropriate methodology for supplementing more historical-oriented methodologies. A survey of previous rhetorical-critical work on Hebrews is undertaken with a view to showing the potential of rhetorical-critical study of the book. It is argued that the rhetorical purposes of Hebrews is the bolstering of the community's confidence in their confession of faith. Acceptance of such an understanding of purpose leads naturally to the further question of the content of that confession, and specifically to the issue of whether or not it contained a statement of the priesthood of Christ. It is argued that the confession of the Hebrews did not refer to the priesthood of Christ, but can rather be summarized as "Jesus is the Son of God". The core of this thesis is found in a careful exegesis of Heb 2 which is crucial for understanding the relationship of the sonship and priesthood of Jesus in Hebrews. This chapter is introduced by explicit references to Jesus as Son (in Hebrews 1:5-14) and ends with the first explicit application of the word "priest" to him (2:17). It is argued that the underlying Adamic and Edenic themes in the chapter provide the key to understanding the relationship. The significance of such Adamic/Eden themes lies at the heart of this thesis. The rest of Hebrews is then examined with a view to ascertaining if such Adamic/Edenic themes are utilized elsewhere in the work. The rhetorical significance of the Adamic/Edenic allusions found throughout Hebrews is also explored. It is argued that the pattern of usage strongly suggests that Adamic/Edenic themes constitute "common ground" between Auctor and his recipients, which is presupposed in the overall argument of Hebrews rather than being argued in detail. The thesis concludes with a summary of the work as a whole, a statement of conclusions arrived at and an outline various implications arising from it.

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The aim of the research is to derive a set of hermeneutical principles of the author of the book of Hebrews from the introductory formulae and, to a lesser degree, to contrast these with contemporary hermeneutical approaches. The research is important for three reasons. Firstly, the introductory formulae have largely been neglected as a source for consideration when analysing the hermeneutic of a writer, such that this study is, to some degree, ground-breaking in nature. Secondly, the introductory formulae provide the clearest presentation of the author’s hermeneutic in that here may be found the most explicit statements revealing the author’s hermeneutic rather than deriving these. Thirdly, in the book of Hebrews we have the best example of how a New Testament writer interpreted the Old Testament (most quotations and introductory formulae per size of book). The research was conducted along the following lines: A comprehensive and workable list of introductory formulae in Hebrews was derived. This list was compared and contrasted firstly within the book itself and secondly in comparison to that of the other New Testament writers. A set of principles was derived from the introductory formulae of Hebrews and compared to the hermeneutics of contemporary modern approaches. The results of the research are encapsulated in six principles which together summarise the author of Hebrews’ hermeneutic. The Old Testament is understood as, -- spoken not written, -- spoken by a Trinitarian God comprising Father, Son and Holy Spirit, -- dynamic, that is, spoken with equal authority and equal effect to a current generation, -- authoritative and complete, -- the words of God do not require the intervention of man but rather the removal of man permitting God to address His people personally, -- pertaining to the person and work of Christ. The conclusion of the research can be summarised in one sentence: “God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is speaking to you now and what He says concerns His Son.” When these principles are compared with contemporary modern hermeneutic, the following is observed; -- the ‘written-and-dated’ nature of God’s revelation instead of an understanding that God is speaking to us today. -- a focus on a single person of the Godhead and a resultant infatuation with some doctrines at the expense of others. -- an illegitimate concern to make God relevant. -- the reader no longer reads in order to understand but reads in order to define meaning and the meaning primarily pertains to himself -- the listener has become the speaker and the speaker is a primarily concerned about himself and how he is coming across not about God. -- the exposition of the Bible has degenerated from theology to anthropology. / Dissertation (MA (Biblical Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Biblical and Religious Studies / unrestricted

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Chapter 1 first establishes the study's methodology, then explores Hebrews' interest(s) in Leviticus as a pathway into Leviticus itself, sketching Hebrews' appropriation of the Day of Atonement, the high priest as sacrificial officiant, daily sacrifices, the inauguration of covenant and cult, and the twofold conception of purifying God's people and place. Chapter 2 offers a portrait of Levitical sacrifice, first examining its creational foundations, canonical precursors, and covenantal context, then surveying the various types of sacrifices. Following this, two topics which receive more detailed attention are the Day of Atonement and the forensic logic running through the cult, the latter seen in (1) the links between priesthood, sacrifice, and wrath, (2) the blood canon of Leviticus 17:11, (3) the concept of sin-bearing, and (4) the "biological" and "legal" nature of impurity. Chapter 3 briefly outlines some of the answers this survey of Leviticus brings to the text of Hebrews then details a number of questions it raises which subsequent study of Hebrews should engage.

The problem investigated in this study is the following: “What is the nature and function of the theme of God’s speech in the book of Hebrews and within the whole of the revelation in Scripture?”. This problem can only be solved if the unfolding nature of God’s speech from the Old to the New Testament is taken into account (cf. Heb 1:1-2), the theme is researched grammatical-historically, and then placed revelational-historically within the whole of Scripture. The introductory questions of the book of Hebrews are investigated for the potential light that answers to these questions can shed on the appearance, function and interpretation of references to God’s speech in the book. Subsequently, the structure of Hebrews is investigated and analysed to determine the position which the theme of God’s speech assumes within the sermon. This goal is achieved through a literature study on suggestions for Hebrews’ structure, followed up by an independent thought structure analysis of Hebrews according to the method of Coetzee (1988a:19-37). From the position of the theme of God’s speech within the structure of the sermon the nature and content of the author of Hebrews’ references to the theme of God’s speech as introductory formulae, and as part of Old Testament quotations themselves, are determined. This is done by examining the 38 introductory formulae in Hebrews in detail on the basis of a literature and independent study. Subsequently, eleven pericopes in Hebrews where keywords of the theme of God’s speech come together as part of the argumentation of the sermon are researched grammatical-historically using a combined method of Coetzee (1997), Tolar (2002), Jordaan (2004a) and Fee (2009). Ultimately it is determined how the theme of God’s speech unfolds in the book of Hebrews regarding manner, nature and content by giving an overview of the collected material by means of analysis, interpretation and synthesis. From this overview it is determined how the author of Hebrews’ theme of God’s speech fits into the whole of God’s revelation in Scripture. This is achieved by doing a cursory revelational-historical study using a combined method of Coetzee (1995) and Jordaan (2003) on six topics that form the overview of the theme of God’s speech in Hebrews. Finally, a general conclusion is reached by answering the problem of this study by way of enumeration: The revelational-historical importance of the theme of God’s speech in Hebrews is that the author shares the presupposition of other biblical authors that the Old Testament is divinely inspired and therefore absolutely authoritative, but then with the explicit emphasis that God is presently still speaking directly and urgently with man through it. The unfolding of God’s revelation also has a specific accentuation in Hebrews by means of the author’s emphasis that God revealed Himself superior and finally in his Son. The author of Hebrews’ emphasis on the greater responsibility of the hearers to listen faithfully and obediently because of God’s superior revelation in his Son, is also unique. For these reasons alone Hebrews has an indispensable role within the Canon. / PhD (New Testament), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014