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    Hebrews: It's Not How You Start--It's How You Finish: A Study Guide to the Most Encouraging Book in the New Testament
    Hebrews: It's Not How You Start--It's How You Finish: A Study Guide to the Most Encouraging Book in the New Testament
    Hebrews: It's Not How You Start--It's How You Finish: A Study Guide to the Most Encouraging Book in the New Testament
    Ebook138 pages1 hour

    Hebrews: It's Not How You Start--It's How You Finish: A Study Guide to the Most Encouraging Book in the New Testament

    By Dr. Kathy Stewart

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    About this ebook

    God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son (Hebrews 1:12)

    but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD (Hebrews 10:12)

    In Hebrews: Its Not How You StartIts How You Finish, Dr. Kathy Stewart offers a guide to the most encouraging epistle in the New Testament. Among other things the reader will explore:

    Who was Melchizedek, and what is his significance to the doctrine of Hebrews?
    Who were the Ebionites? Could they have been the original recipients of the epistle?
    What is one possible interpretation of the controversial warning given in Hebrews 6:48?
    What is the significance of Jesus now sitting at the right hand of God?
    Perhaps most importantlyhow do the doctrinal truths of the book apply to the believer's struggles with everyday trials?

    It is hoped that by the conclusion of the book, the reader will not only have grown in their faith but will have a determined resolve to persevere until the end. Because Jesus Christ is better than any created being, that He now serves as our Great High Priest in heaven, and that He has offered Himself as the one final sacrifice for sin, faithful Christians can make it!

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherWestBow Press
    Release dateMay 30, 2013
    ISBN9781449793104
    Hebrews: It's Not How You Start--It's How You Finish: A Study Guide to the Most Encouraging Book in the New Testament
    Author

    Dr. Kathy Stewart

    Kathy Stewart has a Master of Arts in Religion from Liberty University and a PhD in Christian Education from Southwest Bible College and Seminary in Sulphur, Louisiana. She currently lives in Vinton, Virginia, where she serves as a pharmacist for nursing home patients.

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      Book preview

      Hebrews - Dr. Kathy Stewart

      Hebrews:

      It’s Not How You Start—It’s How You Finish

      A Study Guide

      to the Most Encouraging Book in the New Testament

      Dr. Kathy Stewart

      SKU-000597351.pdf

      Copyright © 2013 Dr. Kathy Stewart.

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

      Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations and references are taken from The Open Bible (NASB), Expanded Edition published by World Publishing, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. of Nashville, Tennessee. Copyright 1985 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

      Some other references may include the King James Version (KJV), New International Version (NIV), and the New King James Version (NKJV.)

      WestBow Press books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

      WestBow Press

      A Division of Thomas Nelson

      1663 Liberty Drive

      Bloomington, IN 47403

      www.westbowpress.com

      1-(866) 928-1240

      Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

      Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

      Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

      ISBN: 978-1-4497-9311-1 (sc)

      ISBN: 978-1-4497-9312-8 (hc)

      ISBN: 978-1-4497-9310-4 (e)

      Library of Congress Control Number: 2013907490

      WestBow Press rev. date: 5/28/2013

      Contents

      Foreword

      About the Author of Hebrews

      God Has Spoken Through His Son

      The Son Who Is Better Than the Prophets

      To Which of the Angels?

      Warning: The Danger of Drifting Away

      Jesus: Made Like His Brethren

      Jesus: Better Than Moses

      Warning: The Danger of Unbelief (Part 1)

      Warning: The Danger of Unbelief (Part 2)

      Let Us Be Diligent to Enter That Rest

      About the Recipients

      Jesus: A Priest Appointed by God

      Are You Dull of Hearing?

      Warning: The Danger of Spiritual Immaturity

      The Lord’s Oath

      The Superiority of Melchizedek

      Jesus: Our Eternal High Priest

      Jesus: The Mediator of a Better Covenant

      Jesus: The Minister

      in a Better Sanctuary (Part 1)

      Jesus: The Minister

      in a Better Sanctuary (Part 2)

      Jesus: Our Better Sacrifice

      He Sat Down

      Let Us Continue in Confidence

      Warning: The Danger of Sinning Willfully

      The Just Shall Live

      by Faith (Part 1)

      The Just Shall Live

      by Faith (Part 2)

      Jesus: The Author and Finisher

      of Our Faith

      The Bad Example of Esau

      Warning: Do Not Refuse Him

      Who Is Speaking

      Let Us Bear His Reproach

      Endnotes

      An Outline of Hebrews

      To my wonderful parents, C.E. and Peggy Stewart, who have given me their unfailing love and support throughout the years. I would also like to dedicate this work to the memory of two very special ladies who have gone to be with the Lord—Kathleen Rickman and Donna Conners. They not only gave tremendous encouragement to me and so many others throughout the years, but their courage in battling cancer was inspirational. In many ways, their lives are what this work is all about. Although you will always be missed, we know you are in a better place.

      Foreword

      H ave you ever experienced loneliness, depression, grief from the loss of a loved one, perhaps ill health, or chronic pain? Like many of you, I have. However, many of you have had painful experiences that I have not—experiences such as a prolonged battle with cancer, financial difficulties, the loss of a job, or a broken marriage, to name just a few. It is for people like you that I have labored long hours over a Bible study that I hope will be especially encouraging.

      The epistle to the Hebrews has one central message that rings loud and clear from its pages—namely, that because our Lord Jesus serves forever as our Great High Priest, because He ministers in a better sanctuary in the heavenly Jerusalem, because He is the mediator of a better covenant enacted on better promises, because He can identify with all of our sufferings and weaknesses, and most important, because He now sits at the right hand of God interceding for us, we can make it! He provides a throne of grace that we can approach boldly at any time.

      Some may ask why I chose an epistle that has such a deep doctrinal message. While I will admit that it was tough (particularly the warning passages), I felt that lay people too often migrate to a study of Bible characters and do not spend enough time investing in doctrine. Nevertheless, we are told several times in Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16-17 for instance) to engage in sound doctrine.

      Lest any of you fear that you may be engaging in some sort of scholarly treatise, let me assure you that I tried to keep this study as simple (but as scriptural) as I could for the laity. As a result, I deliberately chose not to rely heavily on commentaries but on the Word of God itself. You will find as you progress that this is not necessarily a verse-by-verse study. Some verses were skipped in order to concentrate on the bigger picture. However, I don’t believe the essential points of the passage or the general message of the epistle suffered in doing so.

      Having been said, I hope you will learn something from this epistle that will leave a lasting impression upon your mind and heart. Most of all, however, I pray that this book will help you endure in the faith, become spiritually mature in the Word, and above all, be encouraged in all circumstances.

      Kathy Stewart

      About the Author of Hebrews

      W elcome to a study of what I believe to be one of the greatest, most inspiring books not only in the New Testament, but the entire Bible. While you may struggle as I do with faith in the midst of trials, I sincerely hope that before this study is concluded, you will come to realize that blessed assurance and eternal hope that come from knowing Jesus as both Savior and Lord. We can press onward and finish our race with endurance and confidence because of the promised joy and eternal rest that are set before us.

      Before we get ahead of ourselves, however, let’s pause to briefly examine one of the most intriguing questions pertaining to this epistle—namely, who wrote it?

      The question of authorship has led to much scholarly speculation for centuries. Just like the ancestral background of Melchizedek (whom we’ll study in detail), the answer is unknown, and at times in the early centuries of the church, the epistle’s uncertain authorship posed a potential threat to its inclusion in the New Testament. Despite lacking the familiar traditional greeting that one expects from an epistle, it is obvious from the way Hebrews closes in verses 13:18-25 that it was meant to be an epistle to its original recipients. The writer was obviously not anonymous to them. For whatever reason, we can only surmise that the author either wished to conceal his identity from future recipients or the first recipients chose not to share this information when they began circulating copies of the original manuscript. Early church tradition seems to be divided into two camps as to proposed authorship—supporters of Paul or supporters of one of his close associates.

      Supporters of Pauline authorship point out the reference to Timothy in 13:23. They also cite the similarity of language and phrases in Hebrews to Paul’s other known epistles. As examples, look at the Scripture passages below from Paul’s letters and compare them to similar analogies in Hebrews. What subjects do these passages have in common?

      1 Corinthians 3:1-2; Hebrews 5:12-13.

      1 Corinthians 9:24; 2 Timothy 4:7; Hebrews 12:1.

      Nevertheless, significant differences have led many biblical scholars to reject Pauline authorship. Although it is difficult to understand because of our English translations, the Greek style of Hebrews is more refined (or to use a common phrase from Hebrews, better than) the style typically used by Paul in his epistles. With regard to the reference to Timothy in Hebrews 13:23, it seems clear from the context that Timothy has been released from prison. However, in 2 Timothy 1:8 and 4:9,11 (the letter generally regarded as Paul’s last epistle, composed just before his expected death), Timothy had not yet suffered for the gospel’s sake to the point of being imprisoned as other Christian martyrs had. Therefore, his imprisonment and his release from prison, alluded to in Hebrews 13:23, must have occurred after Paul’s death.

      In addition, Paul’s customary salutation to his readers, which always included his name, is noticeably missing from the beginning of the book.

      The letter’s theme of Christ’s High Priestly ministry is also never alluded to in other Pauline epistles.

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