Peter Howard
Hebrews (part 5): The Power of the Word
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)
All the promises given to Abraham, and repeated to Moses and the prophets were not just important to the Hebrews – they were the basis of their identity. Their connection to God, and their hope of eternal life were centered in the ritual and ceremony of the temple law; their forgiveness dependent on action of the High Priest. But the Jewish Christians of the seventh decade AD had real problems. Doubt and a falling away from their role and purpose had led the author of Hebrews to reproach them for being spiritually immature, simplistic and not bearing the fruits of the spirit, but then encouraged them with his confident belief that they can do better. These early Christians are redirected to a “…hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast…” (Heb 6:19). The whole law and the prophets pointed to the man Jesus as the Eternal High Priest, both the the end point and high point of their Jewish heritage. They would, “…through faith and patience, inherit the promises…” (Heb 6:12)