Below you’ll find all of the answers to the questions for the first three chapters in our study on the book of Hebrews. Come back on Monday when we’ll continue our study on chapters 3-6.
Hebrews Chapter 1 – Christ is Better Than the Angels
In the Old Testament God spoke through His prophets. In the New Testament, He spoke through His Son. How could they tell if a prophet was truly sent by God? See Deuteronomy 18:21-22
If the prophecy came to pass, they would know that the Lord had spoken it.
In much the same way, how do we know that Christ was sent by God? See Matthew 3:16-17. Also compare Matthew 16:21 with 1 Corinthians 15:3-8.
Jesus prophesied His own death, saying that He would be killed and that on the third day He would rise again. He proved His resurrection when he was seen by the disciples, Paul, James, and over 500 other witnesses.
In addition to this, God the Father also bore witness to His Son at His baptism.
In Chapter 1 we see that Jesus is superior to the angels. What are some of the ways the author contrasts the two in this chapter?
Jesus is higher than the angels and has obtained a more excellent name than them. He is the begotten Son of the Father. The angels worship Him. He is anointed by the Father above everything including the angels. Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father, the angels do not.
What 5 truths does the author give us in verse 3 to prove that Jesus is Lord?
- He is the radiance of God’s glory
- He is the exact representation of the Father
- All things are sustained by His word.
- He purified our sins
- He sits at the right hand of the Father
Why is it important to understand that Jesus is better than the angels?
So that we would know that salvation comes through Jesus and that it’s only through faith in Him that we are saved. The Mosaic law was administered by angels, but the new law, which came through Jesus Christ is superior to the Mosaic law.
Who created the heavens and the earth? What else can we learn about Jesus from John 1:1-3?
We learn that Jesus was with God the Father in the beginning, that He is God, and that all things were created by Him. We also learn that life was in Him and that He is the light of all mankind.
Why might this chapter be important to establishing the Hebrew’s faith in Christ? If you need help answering this, look up Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on Hebrews Chapter 1.
“Many Jews had a superstitious or idolatrous respect for angels, because they had received the law and other tidings of the Divine will by their ministry. They looked upon them as mediators between God and men, and some went so far as to pay them a kind of religious homage or worship. Thus it was necessary that the apostle should insist, not only on Christ’s being the Creator of all things, and therefore of angels themselves, but as being the risen and exalted Messiah in human nature, to whom angels, authorities, and powers are made subject.” – Matthew Henry’s Commentary
Chapter 2 – Crowned with Glory and Honor
The word “therefore” or “for this reason” is used at the beginning of this chapter to show us how Chapter 1 backs up the next statement. With that in mind, complete the following sentences:
Because… (the point made in Chapter 1)
Because Jesus is greater than the angels, and salvation through Him is superior to that which was administered by the angels in the Old Testament…
We must… (warning at the beginning of Chapter 2)
… we must pay careful attention to what we have heard so that we don’t drift away. We must be obedient to such a great faith.
What is the “great salvation” we read about in Verse 3?
Salvation that comes through faith in Jesus Christ, which was first spoken by Him and later confirmed by the apostles.
How did God testify to the message of salvation that was passed on from Christ to the apostles?
By signs, wonders, miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit. All of these can be found in the book of Acts and other chapters of the Bible.
What does Jesus call those who believe in Him?
Brothers and sisters.
Why was the death of Christ necessary?
When sin entered the world, so did death. God told Adam and Eve that if they ate the forbidden fruit, they would surely die. As we all know from the story, they didn’t physically die that very moment. What many don’t understand however, is that they experienced a spiritual death, which reigned over mankind until the resurrection of Christ. This spiritual death, better understood as a separation between God and man, was bridged by the death and resurrection of Christ. As we see in chapter two, the death of Christ broke the power that Satan held over man. That power was the penalty for sin that man could never pay. When Jesus died on the cross He atoned for the sins of mankind. In other words, He paid our debt in full and freed us from our slavery to sin.
Why was it important for Jesus to be human in every way?
Because Jesus was tempted and suffered in the flesh, He is able to understand the struggles we face. No one can fully understand pain and suffering until they have suffered themselves.
Chapter 3 – Jesus is Greater than Moses
Verse 1 says that Jesus is our apostle and High Priest. Briefly define what these titles are.
Apostle:
The word “apostle” means “to send off,” while the word “disciple” means student. Apostles were messengers appointed by God to spread the message of the gospel to the early church.
High Priest:
In Israel, the High Priest was the chief religious ruler. The first High Priest was Aaron, the brother of Moses, and every High Priest that followed was appointed from his tribe until the reign of King Solomon when King Solomon is reported to have depose the high priest Abiathar, and to have appointed Zadok, a descendant of Eleazar, in his stead. (Wikipedia) The duties of the High Priest included the annual ceremonial cleansing on the day of atonement at which time he atoned for the sins of his family and the nation of Israel.
Approximately what year did the office of the Jewish high priest cease? Why?
The office of the high priest ended around 70 AD when the Roman army conquered the city of Jerusalem and destroyed the temple. Because of God’s specific instructions, the High Priest was no longer able to perform the duties appointed by God within the temple.
When was the book of Hebrews generally believed to have been written?
You’ll find throughout the book that the author refers to the Levitical priesthood and the sacrificial system in the present tense. Therefore, the terminology leads one to believe that this book was written prior to the destruction of the temple in 70 AD. We can also look to Hebrews 13:23 where we see that Timothy has just been released from prison. Although we can’t pinpoint the exact date, this could suggest that it was written about 67-69 AD.
Who was the first High Priest of Israel?
In Exodus 28 and 29 we see that Aaron and his sons were appointed and consecrated at the first priests. What we also see there is that some of the details of Aaron’s garments are unique and set apart from that of his sons because he was appointed to the position of High Priest.
In this chapter, we see that Jesus is better than Moses. What are some of the reasons the author gives us to back up this fact?
The builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself, therefore Jesus has a greater honor than Moses. Moses was a servant in God’s house, whereas Jesus is the Son over God’s house. And so, we see it’s because Jesus has been given a greater honor and a better position than Moses.
Compare verses 1-11 with Numbers 13-14:35. What happened in the wilderness, and why was God angry?
Moses sent 12 men out to spy on Canaan, and instructed them to return with a report. Upon return, only 2 of the 12 spies, Joshua and Caleb, were confident that they would be able to conquer the Canaanites and take the land that God had promised them. In other words, only 2 of the men had faith in God. The other 10 were afraid that they would lose their lives. This negative report spread through the camp, as the Israelites rebelled against God. Raising their voices, they complained and threatened to stone Moses and Aaron.
God was angry with them, yet Moses plead their case asking for forgiveness on their behalf.
God said to Moses, “not one of those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times— not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it. But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.” – Numbers 14:22-24
When they finally did enter the promised land, Caleb and Joshua were the only two from that generation that were permitted to enter the land.
How might a person be “hardened by sin’s deceitfulness?” (verses 12-13)
The less that we listen to God, the more we are deceived by sin.
1 Timothy 4 talks about the searing of a conscience, “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.” 1 Timothy 4:1-2, NIV
There is always a danger in following sin, that we’ll be deceived and drawn away from our faith.
The author tells us that we are partakers with Christ, but what condition do we find in Verse 14?
If we hold our original conviction firmly till the end.
That’s all for today. Have a great weekend, and I’ll be back on Monday with chapters 3-6.
You are loved by an almighty God,
Darlene Schacht
The Time-Warp Wife
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