Chapter 7. The Hebrews

From the time of the Emperor Claudius onward the Jews suffered serious persecution at the hands of the Romans. The Roman army forced the Jews out of their land, out of Rome and out of other major cities. Their distinctiveness made the Jews easy targets for repression, suspicion and persecution, Jewish Christians, who were predominant in the early church, suffered similar persecution.

The letter to the Hebrews was written to a group of Jewish Christians who lived in Rome in spite of the expulsion order, and was circulated among other Jewish Christians who had been excluded from their homeland. Greetings were sent from the Italian Jews who had to flee from Rome.

The persecutions

The Christians in Jerusalem suffered constant persecution throughout the first forty years of the church’s existence. Immediately after the crucifixion of Jesus, Peter, James and John and the other disciples faced imprisonment and persecution.

Paul, then known as Saul, was harassing the church, dragging believers off to gaol and Stephen was stoned to death. The persecution continued throughout Jerusalem and Judea, causing many Christians to flee to outlying, safer areas. Saul’s decision to follow them to Damascus was due to the fact that so many of them had escaped the persecution.

Even in Rome they found no security. Some of the Jewish Christians went Rome following the day of Pentecost, but even there they found continued harassment. The movement of Priscilla and Aquila to Corinth, where they met with Paul and became foundation members of the new church, and to Ephesus where they also met with Paul and the established believers, may have been due to persecution. Some of the early Christians had to keep moving because of fresh outbreaks of local hostility.
Five years after the expulsion under Claudius, the harassed Jews started to drift back into the centre of the empire once more and slowly their numbers built up until the disastrous fire of Rome on 19 July AD 64. Nero blamed the Christians and commenced a bloody persecution in which both Peter and Paul were martyred. Once more Christian Jews died and were scattered abroad. This, however, was a local persecution and safety was found in other cities of the empire.

In Palestine, the persecution took a different turn. Caesarea was a coastal recreation area for Roman soldiers. It was here the Roman centurion Cornelius, converted by Peter, was stationed. Here, Paul was imprisoned and tried before Festus and Herod Agrippa. It became a centre where believers died for the amusement of off-duty soldiers who liked to gamble on the result of the fighting of gladiators.

One of the finest Roman theatres in the Middle East stands at Caesarea. It seats 25,000 today and was the scene for concerts and plays. Nearby, as yet unexcavated, is a stadium of immense size. There were international games organised here every five years and it was the site of the 192nd Olympiad.

The amphitheatre provided entertainment and diversion for the many Roman soldiers stationed there. It was a huge construction, larger than Colosseum in Rome, the inside track measuring over three hundred feet in length. Gladiatorial contests were held here, the first being organized by Herod in 10BC. The Roman general, later emperor, Titus, ordered hundreds of Jewish prisoners of war to be killed here in gladiatorial contests and among them were large numbers of Christians. From AD 66 Vespasian, tough, shrewd commander of Roman legions who suppressed the Jewish rebellion and his successor, Titus, sought to destroy the Jews. Titus utterly destroyed Jerusalem in AD 70, dismantling every building and pushing every block and building stone and brick over the edge of the walls down into the Valley Kedron. Not one stone of Jerusalem was left standing, thereby unwittingly fulfilling the prophecy Jesus made about the city of Jerusalem.

As the Jews scattered from Jerusalem to other parts of the Roman Empire, Vespasian was recalled to Roman where he became Emperor. Now, as Emperor, his hatred for the Hebrews had an international stage for execution, and across the Empire the Jews, including the Christian Jews, were to suffer for their birthright.

One of the emperor Vespasian’s greatest building accomplishments was the building of the Colosseum. He brought thousands of Jewish and Christian prisoners-of-war to Rome as slaves to build this huge memorial to his family and dynasty. By AD 79 he had dedicated the first two storeys of this huge amphitheatre.

The floor of the arena was covered with timber, which covered the cells of both the wild beasts and the victims of the gladiators. These were to be torn to death in this arena for the amusement of the crowd and officials who sat in the Emperor’s box. Forty-five thousand spectators could fill this arena where they enjoyed the spectacle of Christians and Jews being butchered.

These Jewish Christian slaves had to work to build the monument to man’s inhumanity to man. They were then murdered for sport before the roaring crowds. Ironically, later popes had the stones dressed and hauled and rebuilt into the Cathedral of St Peter. As the blood of martyrs became the seed of the church, so the sweat of the martyrs became the cement of the cathedral.

The underground church

To escape the authorities and the threats of persecution, Roman Christians hid in underground tunnels and caves cut in the soft volcanic tufa used originally as burial chambers. There are more than forty such catacombs around Rome covering about eight hundred kilometres of tunnels and ledges upon which the bodies of the faithful were closed by a marble, stone or brick slab on which was written the name and expression of faith of the person buried within.

The earlier burials in the discovered catacombs were not until about AD 150 — which prohibits the popular conception of Peter and Paul both meeting with persecuted Christians in the catacombs, unless there were smaller, as yet unidentified, catacombs within the city limits.

The catacombs were important sources of early examples of Christian art, and words and prayers of the faithful are written on the walls. The traditional symbols of anchors, ships, fish, crosses, chi rhos, and pictures of the Good Shepherd carrying a lamb were all commonly used. Unfortunately, most of the historical wealth of the catacombs has been carried off into the Vatican museum where it can be seen, but not in its natural environment.

During this century, in three widely separated areas of the ancient world – Cirencester in England, Dura-Europos on the Euphrates River, and Pompeii in Italy – a secret Christian sign has been found which is dated before the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in AD 79. It is known as the ROTAS-SATOR word square. The words can be spelt in each direction:

R O T A S
O P E R A
T E N E T
A R E P O
S A T O R

This strange sentence, which means ‘The wheels with care hold Arepo the Sower,’ or ‘Arepo the sower holds the wheels with care’, is an allusion to Ezekiel 10:2 where the angels hold the coals of fire from the wheels of God’s judgment chariot. It could be a statement of faith about God’s coming judgment upon the Roman persecutors.

At the centre of all sides of the word square is the letter T, the ancient symbol of the cross. This letter also appears centrally placed twice in two occurrences of PATERNOSTER, ‘Our Father’, the first two words of The Lord’s Prayer, together with A and O, the letters used by Christ to describe himself as alpha and omega, the beginning and the end.

During the persecutions, this word square may have been used to teach the faith, as a symbol of defiance, or as a secret sign of recognition between the believers.

The early church was born in blood and persecution and one of their choicest encouragements was the letter that circulated among the Hebrew Christians called The Epistle to the Hebrews. Its message was of special interest to the Jewish Christians and told how Jesus had fulfilled the Messianic promises, how the Old Testament Law was fulfilled in him, and how he wanted them to stand fast in their faith.

The Letter to the Hebrews was probably written before AD 70 as there is no mention of the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, which would have strongly supported its argument in favour of the Old Testament sacrificial system being outmoded. When speaking of the Temple the author consistently uses the present tense indicating the Temple is still in Jerusalem.

It speaks about the former days of persecution and so was probably written in the late sixties. As it is quoted in 1 Clement 36:1-5, it must have been in circulation for some good time before AD 95.

The Author

The Epistle to the Hebrews has been an enigma. It has been attributed to Paul, although from earliest times this has been disputed. The literary style is not the rugged style of Paul’s letters, for this letter stands with the writings of Luke for its polished presentation.

The early fathers recognized that it was properly written by a person well acquainted with Paul, and so Barnabas and Luke were suggested. Barnabas is a likely suggestion, as he was well versed in the scriptures, was a priest of the tribe of Levi, was close to Paul and possessed the authority of the early church. He was mentioned early as the author by Tertullian.

Martin Luther suggested the author was possibly Apollos who was familiar with Paul’s thought, was a man of great eloquence who knew the Old Testament well, particularly the Alexandrian Septuagint version of the Old Testament (for all quotes are from it), and who had a feeling for Greek logic which marks the way the letter is carefully composed and argued. Origen stated bluntly, according to Eusebius, that only God knew who wrote it.

Because of doubts about the author, some of the early church fathers argued that it should not be included in the New Testament, but the uniqueness of its argument and content, its helpfulness to many of the faithful under stress and its exaltation of Christ gave sufficient grounds for its inclusion.

It is not even an epistle, technically. It has few of the characteristics of a letter: it lacks an address, a recipient, a signature, the usual introduction and the form of a letter. It is more like a polished sermon on a specific theme.

Even the title was added later, as the recipients were unknown. But it was obviously addressed to Hebrew Christians who were under persecution, and who from their knowledge of the Old Testament were being confirmed in their faith under severe trial.

The purpose and message

Its purpose in mentioned in these closing words: ‘Listen patiently to this message of encouragement.’1

As those early Jewish Christians fled under persecution to the remote parts of the empire, they passed round copies of this letter which encouraged them and their fellow believers throughout the empire.

The theological argument centres on the supremacy of Christ who is seen as God’s final word to us. Christ is demonstrated as superior to their old Jewish ways, beliefs and practices. In fact, the word ‘superior’ is used thirteen times

The writer argues that Jesus is superior to everything within the Jewish past. He is superior to Moses for Moses was a servant of God whereas Jesus was the Son.2

In the same manner he is superior to Joshua, for while the great Joshua brought people into a promised land, Jesus brings people into eternal rest.3 Jesus was superior to Aaron, for though Aaron developed the priesthood, Jesus Christ was the great high priest who offered himself as a sacrifice once and for all to take away the sins of the world.4

Christ is superior even to Melchizedek, who was superior to Abraham, the father of the race and of faith. Christ was superior in his birth, was indestructible in death (because of the resurrection) and was in himself prophet, priest and king. As well, Christ introduced a new sacrifice which was himself.5

His role as our great high priest is demonstrated in the following:

We have, then, my brothers, complete freedom to go into the Most Holy Place by means of the death of Jesus. He opened for us a new way, a living way, through the curtain — that is, through his own body. We have a great high priest in charge of the house of God. So let us some near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith, with hearts that have been purified from a guilty conscience and with bodies washed with clean water. Let us hold on firmly to the hope we profess, because we can trust God to keep his promise. Let us be concerned for one another, to help one another to show love and to do good. Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead let us encourage one another all the more, since you see that the Day of the Lord is coming nearer.6

Jesus is proclaimed as God’s last and ultimate word. He is superior to anything in heaven or on earth; superior to any previous prophet or priest; superior to any other covenant, sacrifice or hope. He is Lord. As a consequence we who believe in him must live in faith with dedication and commitment in our daily conduct.7

The short exhortations to the hearers, with which each theological section concludes, are of great interest. They were answering a need, and an examination of the answers indicates the need. The exhortations are to ‘keep up our courage and our confidence in what we hope for’, to be ‘partners with Christ if we hold firmly to the end the confidence we had at the beginning’, not to ‘lose your courage, then, for it brings with it a great reward’, nor be ‘people who turn back and are lost. Instead, we have faith and are saved.’ 8 And the epistle ends with the great exhortation to ‘run with determination the race that lies before us. Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end’. 9

Apparently, then, some believers had become discouraged, were neglecting their faith, were lacking confidence, were turning back, dropping out and giving up. The letter was to provide them with scriptural evidence of how Jesus was indeed the Christ and superior to the old Law, and personal encouragement to keep to their faith in spite of the difficulties and persecutions they faced.

The final message of Hebrews is to remind them of the faithfulness of other believers in days gone by, and to encourage them to stand fast under their own persecution:

Remember how it was with you in the past. In those days, after God’s light had shone on you, you suffered many things yet were not defeated by the struggle. You were at times publicly insulted and ill-treated, and at other times you were ready to join those who were being treated in this way. You shared the sufferings of prisoners, and when all your belongings were seized, you endured your loss gladly, because you knew that you still possessed something much better, which would last for ever. Do not lose your courage, then because it brings with it a great reward.10

In order to point out that their persecution enables them to stand in line with the great fathers of the faith who also suffered for what they believed, the book provides a great roll-call of faithful people from Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, right down to themselves.

The letter concludes with one of the most beautiful words of encouragement in the whole Bible:

Through faith they fought whole countries and won. They did what was right and received what God had promised. They shut the mouths of lions, put out fierce fires, escaped being killed by the sword. They were weak, but became strong; they were mighty in battle and defeated the armies of foreigners. Through faith women received their dead relatives raised back to life.

Others, refusing to accept freedom, died under torture in order to be raised to a better life. Some were mocked and whipped, and others were put in chains and taken off to prison. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed by the sword. They went around clothed in skins of sheep or goats — poor, persecuted, and ill-treated. The world was not good enough for them! They wandered like refugees in the deserts and hills, living in caves and holes in the ground.

What a record all of these have won by their faith!... As for us, we have this large crowd of witnesses round us. So then, let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of the sin which holds on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies before us. Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. He did not give up because of the cross! On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for him, he thought nothing of the disgrace and dying on the cross, and he is now seated at the right-hand side of God’s throne.11

What a letter of encouragement! Out of the tragedy of persecution they saw God’s plan for the future being beautifully woven.

Endnotes:

1. Hebrews 13:22
2. Hebrews 1:1-14; 3:1-6
3. Hebrews 3:7-4:13
4. Hebrews 4:14-5:10
5. Hebrews 7:1-10:18
6. Hebrews 10:19-25
7. Hebrews 10:19-13:17
8. Hebrews 3:6,14; 10:35, 39
9. Hebrews 12:1-2
10. Hebrews 10:32-35
11. Hebrews 11:33-12:2

For personal reading

Theme: Christ our role-model

Monday: The leaders (Acts 8:1; 9:1-2; 11:19; 12:1-18)
Tuesday: Reason for writing (Hebrews 1:1-4)
Wednesday: The inferiority of the Law (Hebrews 10:1-10)
Thursday: Christ the new way (Hebrews 10:19-25)
Friday : The future reward (Hebrews 10:32-39)
Saturday: Faithful examples (Hebrews 11:4-12:2)
Sunday: Enduring persecution (Hebrews 12:12-29)

For group reading

Topic: The price of faithfulness

1. How does the writer of the letter to the Hebrews encourage Christians under persecution?

2. ‘The church expands best under persecution.’ Discuss this.

3. If the Roman Empire had embraced Christianity in the first century, do you think that would have meant a more effective spreading of the gospel?

4. How can the message of Hebrews be applied to churches not under persecution? Is it possible for an effective church not to come under persecution?

5. What can we learn from the people mentioned in Hebrews 11?

Wednesday, 8th July, 2009, 10:08 am | Bible Studies