Studying
the
Word
for
Life
Once these classes have already begun, if you want to join and catch up with the audio files, please let us know here.
There is one class time on Saturdays. Once you click to register, as you enter your time zone, scroll all the way to the top and then enter it. Then you will see the days and times for your class. Please note that if a class time has fewer than five participants enrolled, it may be canceled or changed.
Saturday: 6pm UK; 1pm EST; 12pm CST; 11am MST; 10am PST
The next class begins Saturday, January 30th.
Course 3–HEBREWS
Join us for ten weeks of engaging and information-rich explorations and discussions. First, we will spend two weeks exploring Old Testament backgrounds and First Century contexts for understanding this magnificent book. Then we will devote four weeks to a detailed study of the text of the letter and the themes that wind throughout it.
One feature that makes the course truly unique is that along with studying Hebrews and seeking to grasp the tensions and details of the transition of the old covenant to the new covenant, we also will read and consider selections of a book on Leviticus by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks (once the Chief Rabbi of Britain).
In this course, Kevin will argue that the path charted by Hebrews and the path charted by First Century Rabbis parted ways sometime after the fall of the temple in A.D. 70 (though tensions already were present prior to the loss of the temple).
The goals of this course are several:
First, and foremost, our goal is increasingly to share God’s affections and aversions—to desire what he desires and despise what he despises.
Second, to pursue understanding, if not mastering, the content of Hebrews, to become more familiar with broader biblical theology, and to delve deeply into struggles within the early church.
Third, to gain some familiarity with Old Testament precedents that shaped the author’s convictions regarding the relationship of Christ Jesus to the ways and means of the old covenant.
Ultimately, though, the goal of this course is that we might share God’s affections and aversions, and embody in our lives the grace, truth, and mercy of God.
Special topics and issues addressed throughout the course include:
Why does the letter discuss angels so much at the beginning?
Were Old Testament believers saved?
How is Jesus like Melchizedek, and who was Melchizedek?
How did old covenant law work?
What about Messianic Jews and how they observe the law?
Who wrote Hebrews?
Can Christians lose their salvation?
Why are perseverance and “perfection” so important?
How is God “a consuming fire” and is this related to hell?
What does it mean to say that Jesus died for us?
How could Jesus learn or become “perfect” through suffering?
Registration
Registration is required in advance of the beginning of the course. There are 20 screen-seats for each class time, though there are two class times to choose from. The fee for the course is £100. There also is an option to add another person, sharing the same screen, for £50 (a 50% discount).
Note: If classes have already begun and you want to join and catch up with the audio files, please let us know here.
Suggested Materials
(Please note that the links to Amazon below are affiliate links, meaning that if you purchase using them, at no additional cost to you, a small portion of the price is given to us, to help support our ministry.)
A Bible, and nearly any translation (NIV, ESV, NKJV, NRSV), just not those that are highly paraphrastic (The Message). I prefer a wide-margin Bible. I use this one, though here is another, and, of course, there are others. A digital version would not be suitable as your main text.
Along with studying Hebrews, we will consider portions of this book by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Covenant and Conversation: Leviticus: The Book of Holiness (436 pages). Sacks was Chief Rabbi of Britain for a number of years, is a prolific author, and a notable communicator. But in this book, he points up how Rabbinic Judaism charts a route alternative to Hebrews—not that he puts it quite like that, though that is the sum of it. What this book does is show us what early Jewish Christians were challenged with, struggled with, and what they parted from.
A notebook to write in, though digital note-taking would be suitable.
A set of colored pencils like these. I use this set all the time and very much appreciate the quality and the hard carrying case. And don’t forget a pencil sharpener, like this one; and perhaps a regular pencil, whether wood or mechanical.
Finally, here are suggested commentaries and resources for Hebrews. For the regular class, I suggest selecting from the basic category.
Easier to Read
Wright, Tom. Hebrews for Everyone (206 pages)
A Bit More Detailed
Guthrie, George H. Hebrews: The NIV Application Commentary (480 pages)
Hagner, Donald. Encountering the Book of Hebrews (224 pages)
Intermediate and Some Greek
deSilva, David A. Perseverance in Gratitude: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on the Epistle “to the Hebrews” (527 pages)
Advanced and Greek with English Explanations
Koester, Craig. Hebrews (640 pages)
There are some excellent specialty studies of Hebrews, if you are interested in digging deeper. Here are a few you might consider.
Lincoln, Andrew. Hebrews: A Guide (120 pages)
The Epistle to the Hebrews and Christian Theology, eds. Richard Bauckham, Daniel R. Driver, Trevor A. Hart, and Nathan MacDonald (437 pages)
Additional books that we believe are worth reading in conjunction with a study of Hebrews.
Dunn, James. The Parting of the Ways: Between Christianity and Judaism and their Significance for the Character of Christianity. (365 pages)
The Gospel According to Isaiah 53: Encountering the Suffering Servant in Jewish and Christian Theology, eds. Darrell L. Bock and Mitch Glaser (309 pages)
Neusner, Jacob. First-Century Judaism in Crisis: Yohanan ben Zakkai and the Renaissance of Torah. (227 pages)
Neusner, Jacob. Judaism in the Beginning of Christianity (101 pages)
Equipment Needed
A computer or smartphone with internet access.
We will use Zoom for our meetings.
Your Time Commitment
60-75 minutes for the weekly live classes.
It is suggested that you read through Hebrews three times a week for the first two weeks (well under an hour a day). As the study progresses, it is suggested that you invest in a commentary and work through it for the weeks we work through various parts and themes of Hebrews.
Content
The content listed below is tentative and could expand or contract as the course unfolds. Based on participant feedback, new material may be included. Just note that this is not a chapter-by-chapter, verse-by-verse study of Hebrews. That would take much longer. Even so, the entirety of Hebrews will be discussed, with more time devoted to some texts or themes or debates.
Zoom, introductions, materials
Suggested assignment: read Hebrews three times a week, plus once in a single sitting.
Contemporary discussions, testaments and covenants, exploring old covenant laws, considering Israel’s history.
Old covenant law and history continued, Rabbi Sacks’s introduction (50 pages), why the Levitical system was introduced, various laws, God speaks.
The tabernacle and the temple, Jesus and the temple, Stephen and the temple, Paul and the temple, Hebrews and the tabernacle.
Jesus is greater than…angels, Moses, the high priest, as a sacrifice, and so is the tabernacle in heaven greater than the one on earth.
What can we learn from the history of Israel, divine deliverance, and the threat of divine judgment?
Jesus as our priest, who was Melchizedek? How is Jesus like him?
The new covenant promised, inaugurated, and increasingly understood. When covenants overlap.
The warning passages, renewing repentance, divine finality, the final judgment, and can Christians lose their salvation?
Transforming the Levitical System. Hospitality, sacrifices of praise and charity, caring for others. New covenant priorities and the prophets of Israel.
After the fall, increasing tensions, the parting of the ways, Rabbinic Judaism.
Dates
January 30
February 6, 13, 20, 27
March 6, 13, 20, 27
April 3
Stipulations
• Fees paid are non-refundable.
• If a participant cannot attend the weekly live class for whatever reason, a recorded version of the session will be made available.
• The fee paid is for one participant in the course. If other household members desire to participate, using the same computer and video feed, a 50% discount is available for each additional participant sharing the same screen.
• Participants are expected to complete the assignments. If not completed, the value of the course will be diminished. While content learned is of some value, the ability to discover and discern for oneself is of enduring value well beyond the course.
• During the live classes, participants should mute their mics unless called on or unless, with their hands up, they are acknowledged. This will enable a smoother experience for all participating.
• One final note: while there may be a maximum number of screen-seats, there also may be exceptions. The minimum number of participants is 5. If fewer than 5 people sign up for any particular class time, the class may be canceled or rescheduled.