1. NEW TESTAMENT FOUNDATIONS   NT 102   THE CHURCH & ITS JEWISH ORIGINS   GENERAL (CATHOLIC) EPISTLES

2. General Epistles
A. Overview information about the general epistles:
1. Groupings: A group of 7 letters (James, I & II Peter, I-III John, Jude) known as General or Catholic Epistles
2. Titles: Apart from II & III John, they do not specify their addressees

3. B. The acceptance & use of the General Epistles
C. Approach: purpose & content

4. JAMES
Introduction
A. Disparagement of the epistle
B. Affirmation of the epistle

5. Ancient Mirror

6. Authorship
Historical Development of Epistle’s Acceptance as Related to Questions of Authorship
B. 2 Options Proposed in Question of Authorship
1.Traditionally: James, the Lord’s brother
a. popularity of the name
b. figures in the NT (Gal 1:19; Mt 13:55)
c. one of the pillars of the Jerusalem church (Gal 2:9; Acts 15)
d. highly regarded in Jewish circles

7. 2. Alternatively: another publishing under James’ name, as supported by the following…
a. Greek appears to be too cultured & polished in style
b. If the author was Jesus’ brother, why so few references to Jesus (1:1; 2:1)?

8. Purpose
A. Distinctives
1. Ethical injunctions
a. strong contrasts between right & wrong
b. use of vivid every day life examples (cf Proverbs)

9. 2. Numerous imperatives
3. Frequent appeals to OT figures (Abraham: 2:21; Rahab: 2:25; Job: 5:11; Elijah: 5:17)
4. Use of questions (2:14; 4:1) & imagined interlocutor (2:18-29; 4:13)

10. B. Form
Suggestive of a synagogue sermon:
1. Anthology of sermons
2. OT Wisdom
3. James & Matthew on Jesus’ tradition
4. Protrepic (encouraging) discourse

11. C. Occasion
1. Difficulty in determining precise occasion
2. Theories about occasion

12. Content
A. Indefinable structure
B. Possible format
1. Introduction of issues (1:2-11)
a. Joy in testing
b. Wisdom with regard to wealth & poverty
2. Blessedness of testing (1:12-18)

13. 3. Wisdom with its practical fruits
Wisdom = Faith + Good Works
Further evidence …
a. In our speech (1:19-27)
b. In our approach to wealth (2:1-26)

14. Mosaic

15. c. In taming the destructive power of the tongue (3:1—4:17)
i. the power of the tongue
Wisdom = Faith + Right Speech
ii. not salt & fresh water together: true wisdom vs. dissension
iii. neither slander, boasting nor judging
 d. In rebuking the rich who oppress (5:1-6)

16. 4. Perseverance in the face of suffering (5:7-11)  
5. Concluding exhortation (5:12-20)
a. Right speech: avoid oaths (5:12)
b. Power of the prayer of faith (5:13-18)

17. Prayer & anointing the sick (see 5:14-16)
How to minister to the sick:
i. Elders (presbyters) to pray
ii. Anointing of oil
iii. Sin & sickness
iv. Meaning of 5:16: “Therefore confess sins to one another, and pray for one another that you might be healed.”
What is the connection between 5:16 & the preceding verses?
 c. Power of restoring wisdom (5:19-20)

18. Key issues
A. The inter-relatedness of testing, wisdom, speech & actions
B. The manifestation of true wisdom
1. Control of the tongue: right speech reflects the character of God
2. Right attitude to wealth (as in the OT & in Jesus, a thoroughgoing concern; 1:9-11; 2:1-13; 4:8-10, 13-16; 5:1-6)

19. C. The issue of faith & works, in regard to …
1. The tongue (1:26; 3:9-12; 4:11-12 [cf. 2:4]; 5:9, 12)
2. Money (1:27; 2:1-4; 4:3; 5:1-6)

20. D. James & Paul & the concept of justification by faith alone
A person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in/of Jesus Christ (Gal 2:16)
A person is justified by faith, apart from the works of the law (Rom 3:28)
By contrast …
A person is justified by works & not by faith alone (Jas 2:24)

21. How one defines “faith” & more importantly “works”:
2. Works
3. Justification
The supposed contradictions in theologies between Paul & James are only matters of emphases

22. HEBREWS
Introduction
A. Unusual content for many moderns
1. unusual concepts & complex use of symbols
2. sustained & detailed argumentation
B. Outstanding language
C. Enigmatic origins (authorship, addressees, provenance, & date)

23. Genre, Authorship, Addressees, Provenance, and Date
A. Genre
1. Hebrews employs a vast range of 1st century techniques
a. rhetorical
b. stylistic techniques
2. Combining elements of rhetorical forms

24. 3. Influences
a. Jewish mysticism
b. Gnosticism
c. Qumran
d. Philo
e. broad stream of Hellenistic Judaism
4. More a sermon than a letter with apologetic purpose

25. B. Authorship
1. Inconclusiveness
2. Early tradition (in the East around AD 200)
3. Unlikely to be Paul:
for several reasons …
a. Conversion
b. Self-identification/signature
c. OT usage
d. Language
e. Theology

26. 4. Similarities also with:
a. Stephen’s speech (Acts 7)
b. I Peter
c. John

27. 5. Other suggestions
a. Barnabas
b. Luke & Priscilla
c. Apollos

28. Conclusion on authorship: Quality of Greek & knowledge of LXX suggest author was a Jewish Christian with good Hellenistic education & some knowledge of Greek philosophical & rhetorical categories.

29. C. Addressees
1. Anonymity
2. Internal data
3. Probabilities
a. Probably persecuted Hellenistic Jewish Christians tempted to go back to Judaism
b. Perhaps a house church within a larger Christian community

30. D. Provenance
1. Suggestions
2. Hypotheses:
a. Probably not Jerusalem or Judea:
b. Possibly Rome (the majority view at present)
E. Date

31. Content
A. Main sections
1. 1:1—10:18: superiority & finality of God’s revelation in Christ
2. 10:19—13:21: a concluding exhortation

32. B. Section One (1:1—10:18)
The superiority of Christ…
1. The superiority and finality of Christ over previous revelation (1:1—2:18)
a. In these final days …
b. … as such, he is far superior to the angels (messengers) who mediated the message in the past (1:4-14).
c. Therefore, be warned … if the angels’ message was binding, how much more that of Christ? (2:1-4).

33. d. The incarnation only enhances the superiority of Jesus (2:5-18)
(1) He thus fulfills Ps 8
(2) He is thereby even more qualified to be our merciful & compassionate high priest to make expiation for the sins of the people.

34. 2. The superiority of Christ over Moses, the human mediator of the previous revelation (3:1-18)
a. Moses is like the house, but Jesus is the builder.
b. Moses was a faithful servant, but Jesus is the son.
c. Therefore, be warned, if those who rebelled against Moses did not find rest, neither will those who through unbelief disobey Christ!

35. 3. The superiority of Christ, who offers a true Sabbath rest, over Joshua (4:1-13)
a. Joshua was not able to offer the final Sabbath rest (4:1- 10).
b. Therefore, let us make every effort not to miss out due to disobedience (4:11-13).

36. 4. The superiority of Christ’s High Priesthood over that of Aaron (4:14—10:18)
“We have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God” (4:14a)

37. a. Jesus fulfills the 2 requirements of the office (4:14—5:10).
(1) Divine appointment
(2) True humanity
Perfection in Hebrews

38. b. Therefore… reproach and warning over their lack of diligence and faith (5:11—6:12)
c. Consider the example of Abraham’s faith in the certainty of God’s sure promise (6:13-20)
d. Jesus’ high priesthood is superior since it is of the order of Melchizedek (7:1-28)

39. Who was Melchizedek? (Gen. 14:18-20; Ps. 110:4)
(1) Superiority of Melchizedek over Aaron (7:1-10)
(a) Melchizedek was a typological archetype of Christ
- King of righteousness, king of peace
- without father or mother
(b) Abraham tithed to him, and thus did Levi and so Aaron

40. (2) Superiority of Jesus, who, like Melchizedek, is the Levitical priesthood (7:11-28)
(a) Discourse on why the promise of another “order” if Aaron’s was sufficient (7:11, 18)
(b) Confirmation by God’s oath (7:20ff)

41. (c) Permanence of Jesus’ high priesthood—he lives forever; they
(c) Permanence of Jesus’ high priesthood—he lives forever; they died (7:23-25)
(d) Complete sufficiency of Jesus’ sacrifice—their sacrifices needed to be repeated (7:26-28)

42. e. Summation: The complete superiority of the New Covenant High Priesthood (8:1—10:18)
Earthly Tabernacle versus Heavenly Tabernacle
Moses  earthly Tabernacle (copy)  leading Israel in desert wandering  Promised Land
Jesus  heavenly sanctuary (reality)  leading his people in earthly journey  Sabbath rest

44. (1) Jesus serves at the superior heavenly tabernacle (8:1-6)
(2) Citing Jer 31:31-34, the old covenant has been made obsolete by the new (8:7-13)

45. (3). The old tabernacle & rites were only shadows of the reality
(3) The old tabernacle & rites were only shadows of the reality to come in Christ (9:1-10)
(4) The blood of his unique self sacrifice far superior to that of bulls & goats (9:11—10:18)

46. C. Section Two (10:19—13:25)
Final exhortation to perseverance…
1. Having been cleansed, let us not deliberately sin lest we be cut off (10:19-31).
2. Hold fast to your earlier endurance (10:32-39).
3. Remember the example of the heroes of faith (11:1-39).

47. 4. Consider your present trouble—understood as God’s discipline—as a sure sign of your sonship (12:1-13).
5. Don’t betray your sonship, as did Esau (12:14-17).
6. Our unshakeable heavenly Mount Zion is far superior to an earthly Mount Sinai (12:18-29).   
7. Concluding exhortation (13:1-25)

48. Purpose
A. Emphases in Hebrews
1. Theme: the superiority of all that Christ represents
2. Encouragement (“confidence,” “assurance”)
3. Warnings against apostasy (2:1-4; 3:12; 4:1; 6:4-6; 10:26-29)

49. B. Situation of addressees
C. Patron/Client convention
D. Discourse on considerations & consequences
1. Seriousness of the problem
2. Refutation of “return” as an option

50. E. Discourse on appropriate action
So then, dear brothers and sisters, put your trust in…
1. Christ, our pioneer, trailblazing champion into our true Sabbath rest (2:10; 12:2)
2. Christ, our high priest