Hebrews 1:1

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past by the fathers to the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things and through whom He also made the worlds. Jesus, we pray that You would open our hearts and minds this morning and that You would speak to us Your word. Teach us, for You promised to give us the Spirit of truth, who would guide us in all truth and teach us all things. So, Holy Spirit, we pray for the divine influence upon our hearts and minds today, and that You would continue that work of transformation in us, Lord, by Your word and by Your power. We pray this in Jesus' name, and all those that agreed said, "Amen." You can be seated.

I feel it is somewhat necessary to preface this message today. It isn't exactly like the messages that I typically deliver; it's a little bit more academic. I ask that you bear with me a little bit as we prepare to launch into a verse-by-verse exposition of the book of Hebrews, which we will officially start next week. It is helpful to set up the series, and that is what we've been doing for the last three weeks, including today, as we prepare to go into it.

Because of that preface to the book, I think it is really important to take a moment and talk about the author of the book of Hebrews. If you are new to the Bible, if you haven't studied through the whole of it, or if this is your first time moving through a book like Hebrews, then this is probably something you've never thought about, and that's perfectly okay. However, if you've been around the Bible for a little while, if you've read through the book of Hebrews, or if you've sat in a Bible study on the book of Hebrews, then you know that there is some discussion about this. You probably realize that the book of Hebrews is slightly different from many of the other books that make up the New Testament. Most of the New Testament is comprised of letters that were written; we call them epistles. Epistles were written by apostles, and those are different things. Apostles wrote epistles.

Romans through the book of Jude contains a significant section of the New Testament, consisting of letters written by individuals to other individuals or to churches. Among these letters, we find those authored by Paul. All of Paul's letters begin in a similar manner, with his name at the very beginning. This was the customary way to start a letter in the first century; you would announce who was writing the letter.

Whether you are reading Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, or Philemon, all of Paul's letters begin with a similar introduction: "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ" or "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ." It wasn't just Paul, though. The book of James, also a letter, begins with "James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ." Similarly, the book of Jude starts with "Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ and the brother of James." Peter's letters, of which he wrote two, begin with "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ," while the second letter starts with "Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ."

The customary way to write a letter in the first century was to announce yourself at the beginning before addressing the specific recipients. However, as we have read through Hebrews 1:1 over the last several weeks, we notice that it does not begin in this typical fashion. This makes it fairly unique among the New Testament letters.

In recent weeks, especially as we prepare to delve into this book, I have been approached by several people in the church who have asked, "So, who wrote the book of Hebrews?" If you are new to the Bible, you might not have even thought to ask that question. However, it is one of those topics that people enjoy discussing—it's a bit of a Christian nerdy thing. So, today will be a nerdy Bible study as we explore this question.

As I have conversed with a few people about this over the past few weeks, they have asked me who I think wrote the book of Hebrews. I told them they would have to come back on Sunday in a few weeks for the answer. Some have confidently replied, "I know who wrote the book of Hebrews!" When I asked them who it was, they said, "God wrote the book of Hebrews."

The letter of Paul begins with James, and Peter's letters begin with Peter. Hebrews begins with, "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past by the fathers or to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son."

In all honesty, I could be a bit of a wise guy and say that God wrote the book of Hebrews, and it would be perfectly acceptable to do so. In Second Timothy, chapter 3, verse 16, the Apostle Paul writes, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God." Another version, the New International Version, says that same verse as, "All Scripture is God-breathed." Peter, in one of his letters, writes that "holy men of God spoke" or "they wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit to write."

So, Scripture is given by inspiration of God. That is one of the core tenets of the Christian faith. We believe that Scripture is given by divine inspiration and divine revelation. Therefore, I think it is true to conclude that God is the ultimate author of Scripture; He is the ultimate author of the book of Hebrews.

However, aside from the wise guy answer, it would be a cop-out to stop there. Who is the holy hand that God, by the Holy Spirit, moved to write these 13 chapters that we are going to study?

Before we even get into the question and the answer, you might actually be asking a different question: Why is this even important? What does the authorship of Hebrews matter? What does the authorship of any of these books matter?

So, point number one on your outline: Why does authorship matter? There are two reasons: first, authority, and second, legitimacy. Authority and legitimacy are crucial because every New Testament book—there are 27 of them—was either written by an apostle or had an apostle's endorsement. There was either apostolic authorship or apostolic endorsement.

Now, the Old Testament is different. The Old Testament Scriptures, from Genesis to Malachi, those 39 books, were already established for the most part under Judaism. In Christianity, we carried on that tradition of the Hebrew Scriptures.

The 27 books that make up the New Testament are significant, and it's important to understand that there were councils in the early church, especially in the second, third, and fourth centuries AD, where discussions took place regarding which books should be included in what we call the canon of Scripture. Some letters were selected and set apart, while others were deemed not worthy of canon status. There were even passages referred to as gospels that were set aside because their authorship was unknown or they were written well outside the time of the first century. As a result, they did not meet the standards of apostolic authorship or endorsement and were therefore excluded from the Scriptures.

Hebrews is an interesting book, and it is essential for us to understand that the early church, as well as the church today, was established upon the life, ministry, and teaching of Jesus, along with the doctrine of the apostles. The birth of the church is recorded in Acts chapter 2, which describes the events of Pentecost. Immediately following this, we read in Acts 2:42 that the early church continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine. This same group of apostles later stated in Acts chapter 6 that they would not depart from the word of God and prayer, demonstrating their complete commitment to teaching the Scriptures and the doctrines of the apostles.

Years later, in the book of Ephesians, the apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 2:20 that the church is built upon the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, with Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone. While Jesus is the cornerstone of the church, it is built upon the foundation laid by the apostles and the prophets.

What was so special about these apostles who wrote epistles and taught doctrine? There are two primary factors that set them apart with distinct authority within the church. First, they were eyewitnesses of the risen Lord Jesus. Second, the apostles were directly commissioned to their work by Jesus.

Now, who are these individuals? Sometimes they are referred to as the disciples of Jesus. We typically call them the 12 disciples or the 12 apostles. These were individuals in Jesus's ministry that He had called after a night of prayer. He selected them to come and be with Him. They spent many years with Him—three years—learning from Him, watching Him, and being dispatched by Him to go preach and to heal.

After the death of Jesus, that number went from 12 to 11. In the early church, in the Book of Acts, they added a 12th apostle, and later on, God added another one: the Apostle Paul. These individuals were eyewitnesses of the risen Lord, and they were commissioned directly by Him under His authority, an authority that He extended to them.

Matthew chapter 28, verse 18, is one of those distinct commissioning statements. Jesus came to His disciples and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

There they are, eyewitnesses of the risen Lord Jesus, who is right there with them. With His authority, He imparts it to them and commissions them to this work of teaching the apostles' doctrine. That's what they did. These first-century apostles were a unique group of individuals that held a level of authority within the church that we do not believe was handed down to others.

We do not hold to the concept or the idea of what is commonly referred to as apostolic succession. We do not believe that this authority continues to be handed down to apostles throughout the church age. They held a unique place, and the unique authority of these early apostles is primarily seen in that what they wrote and what they taught became the foundational beliefs and doctrines of the church. It was often codified in books and letters that are canonized and placed in the canon of Scripture.

The 27 books of the New Testament are there because they had apostolic authorship or apostolic endorsement. Who were these apostles? Well, of course, we think of individuals like Matthew, who was a follower of Jesus, one of the 12. He saw the risen Lord.

Commissioned by the risen Lord with that authority, Matthew writes the Gospel of Matthew. Not just Matthew, but then you have John, the Apostle John, who wrote the Gospel of John, as well as First, Second, and Third John, and the Book of Revelation.

After that, we think of Paul, the Apostle Paul. He was not one of the early eleven, but later on, Jesus reveals Himself after His resurrection to the Apostle Paul and commissions him to be an apostle. We are so thankful He did, because God used him to write much of the New Testament: Romans, First and Second Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, First and Second Thessalonians, First and Second Timothy, Titus, and Philemon.

Another apostle, of course, is James, who wrote the Book of James. He was also the brother of Jesus, as was Jude, who wrote the Book of Jude, also a brother of James and brother of Jesus. Then there is Peter, who wrote First and Second Peter.

In that listing, there are some books that I have left out, obviously the Gospel of Mark, the Gospel of Luke, and the Book of Acts. However, these individuals, Mark and Luke, who wrote Luke and Acts, received apostolic endorsement. It is commonly believed that Mark had the endorsement of the Apostle Peter, so some people refer to the Gospel of Mark as the Gospel according to Peter. It was written down as Mark received it, spoken to him by the Apostle Peter.

The Gospel of Luke, on the other hand, was written by Luke, who was a traveling companion and gospel associate, if you will, with the Apostle Paul. He had the endorsement of the Apostle Paul to write what became the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts.

This leaves us with the discussion of the Book of Hebrews, which stands uniquely among all the books of the Bible. The question comes up from time to time: Who wrote the Book of Hebrews? You may or may not know this, but there is actually a passionate debate over this issue. There has been a passionate debate within this church over the years. I remember years ago, in a small group Bible study that I taught in a home, we went through the Book of Hebrews, and boy, did we have a discussion about who wrote it. It can sometimes be a strange, and as it may be, kind of a heated discussion about who wrote the Book of Hebrews.

At this point, you might be thinking, "Really? This is an issue? This is a problem?" Yes, it can be a problem.

The questions surrounding the authorship of the Book of Hebrews have sparked a debate that has persisted for many centuries. This debate has led some theologians to question the legitimacy of this book. Is it legitimate to be included in the canon of Scripture? There are those who question its canonicity, as well as its authority. Some within the church even consider the Book of Hebrews to have a second-rate status in relation to theology, believing it does not hold the same authority as other New Testament books. Consequently, some churches have, for the most part, practically ignored the Book of Hebrews due to the uncertainty surrounding its authorship.

This is a significant problem because the Book of Hebrews possesses deep theological importance, especially concerning the teaching of salvation, which theologians refer to as soteriology. It also addresses questions of church structure and hierarchy, known as ecclesiology, which pertains to the makeup and structure of the church. The Book of Hebrews has much to say about these issues, as we will see as we explore its content.

At this point, some may be wondering why they should even care about this topic. I believe it is essential because we need to trust that the Bible we read and study is the Bible as it should be. It is crucial for us to believe and have confidence that the Scriptures we engage with are accurate and legitimate.

So, who are the potential authors of the Book of Hebrews? If you have an opinion on this matter and have been familiar with the Book of Hebrews for a while, it is highly likely that you believe it was written by Paul. That is the common view, and early church tradition held that the Apostle Paul was the author of the Book of Hebrews. The book was written by someone with a strong understanding and knowledge of Hebrew tradition, and Paul, as a former Jewish Pharisee, certainly understood the Hebrew roots of the faith and the significance of Hebrew tradition.

He certainly had a great working knowledge of the Hebrew faith, which is seen in the Book of Hebrews. However, there is a problem. The structure of Paul's letters all begins the same way. Every single one of the letters that Paul wrote begins with his name prominently at the front: "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ" or "Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ." Hebrews doesn't begin that way.

Those who argue that Paul is the author of the Book of Hebrews say, "Yes, it doesn't start that way, but it does end that way." And you know what? They would be right. Every single one of Paul's New Testament letters ends almost identically, with the same salutation: "The grace of the Lord be with you." If you turn to the very last verse of Hebrews chapter 13 and look at the words that end chapter 13, verse 25 of Hebrews states, "Grace be with you all. Amen."

There are people who say, "I know it doesn't begin like Paul's letters, but it certainly ends like Paul's letters, so it has to be the Apostle Paul." Many in early church tradition held that it was the Apostle Paul, and some aspects of it seem to fit with this. If that's your opinion today, you would probably think that Paul was the author. However, you wouldn't be alone in that view; there are other opinions.

Others say it was not Paul, but Peter, the Apostle Peter. They argue that the primary reason for this is that the person had to have a good understanding of Hebrew background, faith, and tradition, and Peter would have had that. Here's the kicker: in the Book of Galatians, Paul said, "I am an apostle to the Gentiles," while Peter was an apostle to the Jews. So, they conclude, it is not Paul; it is Peter.

As you would expect, there are some people who argue against this, saying it was not Paul and it was not Peter; it was Apollos who wrote the Book of Hebrews. At this point, some of you may be wondering, "Apollos? Who on earth is Apollos?" Well, Martin Luther, the great reformer of the church in the 16th century, held very strongly that it was Apollos who wrote it.

The Book of Hebrews is traditionally attributed to Apollos, an early Christian evangelist mentioned in the Book of Acts. He ministered following the Apostle Paul in places like Ephesus, Corinth, and many other parts of the world at that time. Apollos came from a Jewish background and hailed from Alexandria, located in northern Egypt along the Mediterranean Sea. He was a very eloquent teacher, and some people suggest that the eloquence and the way everything is framed in the Book of Hebrews indicate that it must have been written by Apollos.

However, the debate does not end there. Some argue that it was not Paul, Peter, or Apollos, but rather Barnabas. For those unfamiliar, Barnabas was an early Christian and a pillar in the early church, mentioned in Acts chapters 4 and 5. He was Paul's associate on his first missionary journey and was also of Jewish faith and origin. Thus, some people assert that Barnabas must have authored the book.

Yet, the discussion continues. There are others who claim that it was not Paul, Peter, Apollos, or even Barnabas; instead, they argue it was Priscilla. For those wondering, Priscilla was the wife of Aquila. They were early Christians of Jewish faith and associates of the Apostle Paul, ministering with him in places like Corinth, Ephesus, and Rome. Some contend that it was Priscilla, not Paul, Peter, Apollos, or Barnabas.

As you can see, there are many opinions on this matter. Recently, I was sitting down with a group of pastors, and one of the questions that always arises in such gatherings is, "What are you teaching through? What are you preaching on right now?" I mentioned that we were preparing to go through the Book of Hebrews. At that moment, my good friend David Guzik, who has written commentaries on nearly the entire Bible, leaned across the table and asked, "Okay, who wrote the Book of Hebrews?"

The question that comes up is, "Who do you think wrote the book of Hebrews?" I certainly have an opinion on this. We went around discussing it with David, my friend Lance, and my friend Chuck. Opinions and ideas emerged, and when you get four pastors together and ask them a direct question, you often end up with seven opinions. One of them said, "I think it's Paul," while another mentioned that they didn't even know and didn't care.

There are many opinions, but the bigger question is not what church tradition says or what various people think. The real question is whether there is any internal evidence regarding the authorship of the book of Hebrews. I am here to tell you today that there is. However, here's the problem: some of you may not like it.

So, point number two on your outline is that we have a Hebrews author covenant that we're all going to sign together right here. I want you to write your name and promise that you will never argue with anyone about non-essential issues, like who wrote the book of Hebrews. Sign your name and today's date, which is February 26, 2017. Let's get it all in writing. I'll give you a second to write it down. I'm serious about this; I don't want any emails about it.

Now, I'm going to burst some bubbles, starting with the first bit of internal evidence we find in Hebrews chapter 2. Would you turn to Hebrews chapter 2?

In Hebrews chapter 2, verse 1, it says, "Therefore, we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?"

Let me read that again: "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a gospel, which at first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him?"

The Lord confirmed the message to us through those who heard Him. Point number three on your outline is that Hebrews was written by a second-hand hearer of the gospel. Why is that important? What does it mean? Simply put, and don't lose your matzah, Paul was not the author of Hebrews, and neither was Peter.

Why can I say that? In Paul's very first letter, the book of Galatians, he states in Galatians chapter one, verse 11, "But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me was not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ." Paul was not a second-hand hearer of the gospel of Jesus Christ; he received it by revelation from Jesus Christ Himself. Peter also heard the gospel by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.

In another place, in 1 Corinthians chapter 11, verse 23, when Paul is discussing communion, he says, "For I received from the Lord that which I also deliver to you." So, if you have passionately held the belief that the Apostle Paul wrote the book of Hebrews, I apologize. Please see point number two. I got it in writing; you signed it. You better sign it and put a date next to it before you email me about point two.

The next bit of internal evidence turns from Hebrews chapter 2 to Hebrews chapter 10. In Hebrews chapter 10, verse 32, the author says, "But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated by the gospel, you endured a great struggle with sufferings. You were persecuted partly while you were made a spectacle, both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated. For you had compassion on me."

My chains point number four: Hebrews was written by someone in chains, and his name was not Alice. Hebrews was written by somebody in chains.

Now, if you've been around the Bible for a while, you might immediately say, "Well, that had to be Paul." Paul was imprisoned; he wrote many letters while he was in prison. He wrote Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, Philemon, and First and Second Timothy and Titus. He writes these while he's in prison, so certainly it was the Apostle Paul.

But the problem is that Hebrews chapter 2, verse 3 tells us that it was written by a second-hand hearer of the gospel. So we have a problem.

What’s the other internal evidence? The third point of internal evidence is pretty interesting. There are nearly a hundred Old Testament references in the book of Hebrews. Some of them are direct quotes from Old Testament passages.

What is interesting is that at the time the book of Hebrews was written, in the first century, there were two primary sources of Old Testament scriptures. One was in Hebrew, known as the Masoretic text, or the original text. The other was called the Septuagint, which was a Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures. The Septuagint was translated by a group of 70 Jewish scholars in about the third century BC, and because it was translated by these 70, that's why it's called the Septuagint; "the 70" is what it's referred to.

Now, those who had the Hebrew scriptures, the Masoretic text, generally were in the area of Judea and Jerusalem. Those who did not have that were generally Greek-speaking individuals. The common language of the day was Greek, and they would have the Septuagint.

If you were a Jew living in Jerusalem or Judea, you would probably speak Hebrew as your first language and read the Masoretic text. But if you were a Jew living outside of Judea, born and raised, then you would probably speak Greek; Hebrew would be your second language, and you would have the Septuagint.

The interesting thing is that every reference to the Old Testament in the book of Hebrews is a Septuagint reference. They are all translated straight out of the Septuagint. Why is that important? The Apostle Paul, in his letters—Romans, Corinthians, Thessalonians—all of these...

The Apostle Paul quotes the Old Testament, but he always does so from the Masoretic text, always from the Hebrew Scriptures. He quotes the text or paraphrases the Hebrew Scriptures. So again, strike two for the Apostle Paul.

At this point, you might be asking, "Who wrote the book of Hebrews?" I will say that God wrote it, and we can pray and be done. No, I'm not going to do that. Turn, if you will, to Hebrews chapter 13.

What we're going to find, if we carefully consider the text of Hebrews chapter 13, is point number five, which is on the back of your sermon guide: Hebrews has two endings and two authors. We will see this as we read through some of the text of Hebrews chapter 13, beginning at verse 17.

Hebrews 13:17 is the beginning of the first ending, and there we read, "Obey those who rule over you and be submissive." Like when I said to fill out point number two, "Obey those who rule over you and be submissive." Why? For they watch out for your souls as those who must give an account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

Then he says this in verse 18: "Pray for us, for we are confident that we have a good conscience in all things, desiring to live honorably. But I especially urge you to do this: pray that I may be restored to you the sooner."

Now may the God of peace, who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well-pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen.

That concludes the first ending by author number one, which I believe wraps up the previous 13 chapters of the book written by this first author. There are a few things I want you to note in these verses, specifically verses 17 through 21. The first thing to note is this: the author says, "Pray for us." As he is speaking, who is he referring to?

The author is speaking about himself and someone else, possibly at least one more person, maybe others. He says, "Pray for us." Then, in verse 19, he adds, "Pray that I may be restored to you quickly." What does this have to do with? I think it probably points us back to what we've previously seen in verse 34, where the author revealed that he was imprisoned and in chains. He asks here for a really simple prayer request: pray that he would get out of this situation.

Thirdly, notice the conclusion in verse 21, where he says "Amen," following a glorious closing benediction in verses 20 and 21. There, the first portion of the letter ends, but this immediately brings us to ending number two, which begins in the very next verse, verse 22.

In Hebrews 13:22, the author says, "And I appeal to you, brethren, bear with the word of exhortation, for I have written to you in a few words." He notes that our brother Timothy has been set free, and he hopes to see them if Timothy comes shortly. He instructs them to greet all those who rule over them and all the saints; those from Italy greet them as well. He concludes with, "Grace be with you all. Amen."

There are five things that stand out to me in these short verses. First, the author says to bear with the word of exhortation in verse 22. I believe he is asking the readers to receive the exhortations that have come in the previous 13 chapters. It is as if the author is saying, "Listen, I know that those are some pretty heavy exhortations, and I ask that you please just have an open heart to receive what has just been said to you in the previous chapters."

The second thing in verse 22 is that he says, "For I have written to you in a few words." This is intriguing because there are almost 7,000 words in the 13 chapters of the book of Hebrews. If by "few words" he means 7,000 words, that would be a little strange. However, if the author is saying, "Listen, I've written you just a short little message here at the end," which is only 62 words, then maybe it is a second author speaking about his second ending of this letter, an endorsing letter of a different author.

The third thing that we see here is in verse 23, when the second author in this short ending says, "Know that our brother Timothy has been set free." The second author encourages the readers that Timothy, who apparently was previously in chains and imprisoned, has now been set free since the letter was finished.

Next, notice in verse 25, there is a very common ending that is used. The author of this short ending says, "Grace be with you all." An ending like that would lead many readers to immediately think, "Well, that's Paul."

The fifth point is found in verse 25, where the second ending concludes with the word "Amen." Hebrews has two endings because it has two authors. I am a hundred percent convinced that the internal evidence of the book of Hebrews supports the conclusion that Hebrews chapter 1, verse 1 through chapter 13, verse 21, the first ending, was written by Timothy while he was imprisoned.

At some point later in Paul's life, Timothy was a second-hand hearer of the gospel. He heard the gospel from the Apostle Paul when Paul, on his missionary journeys through Galatia, came to the city of Lystra, where Timothy was born and raised. His mother and grandmother were Jewish, but his father was Greek. He grew up in a family where his first language would have been Greek, and the access he would have had to the Old Testament would have been in the Septuagint.

Additionally, the letter, the book of Hebrews, has kind of a Pauline flair to it, a style reminiscent of the Apostle Paul. This would make sense because Timothy was discipled by none other than the Apostle Paul. I believe the internal evidence also supports that Hebrews chapter 13, verses 22 through 25, those short 62 words, were written as an apostolic endorsement by the Apostle Paul of Timothy's letter. He says, "Listen, receive these words of exhortation because I'm encouraging you to do so in this short letter that I send to you."

So, if you were thinking that the Apostle Paul wrote the book of Hebrews, you were kind of right—at least for the last 62 words.

Words, so how do we conclude? Well, you are welcome to have a different opinion on this. Everyone is entitled to be wrong, but you'd have to do so based on alternative facts. You'd have to be able to answer the internal evidence that is found here in the book of Hebrews.

It is my conclusion that Timothy wrote the book of Hebrews under the endorsement and tutelage of the Apostle Paul. That's an important truth for us to understand because we want to know that what we're studying has legitimacy and authority. As we go through this passage, we're going to find some challenging things, and we need to recognize and understand that this is God-inspired for us, just as it was for these Hebrew Christians 2,000 years ago.

I want to encourage you: God's word can and should be trusted. Amen. Since you signed point number two, we're just going to say that's all she wrote. Would you stand with me as we close in prayer?

Jesus, I thank you for your word. As we're going to see in this book, it is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. It cuts deep, Lord; it touches us to the soul level so that you can bring about transformation in our lives. I pray, God, that we would be in some way freed up as we study through this book to have our lives transformed by you and by your grace, so that we would be able to manifest and share that grace with those we come in contact with here in this world.

It is certain that the world we live in is in desperate need of your gospel of grace, Jesus. Lord, we thank you that you love us so much that you've revealed yourself, your nature, and your will to us in the pages of Scripture. Help us to learn it, memorize it, meditate upon it, and hold tightly to it. We ask this in Jesus' name.

Words can read said.