Hebrews is considered by many Christians to be a difficult book to understand. Why is that? Is it possibly because we’ve been “trained” to read it incorrectly?
I’d like to challenge you to read the book of Hebrews in one sitting with the guidance I provide below. If you are focused, it really doesn’t take that long to read. An hour at the most.
Guidelines for Reading Hebrews
Keep these points in mind.
- Remember Hebrews was written to Jews who had become Christians. Some scholars suggest that at least some of them had been priests. They were being persecuted and so were tempted to revert back to depending on the Law (Judaism).
- Take yourself completely out of the book. Mentally focus so every time it says “we” or “you” or the like, you remind yourself that you are NOT part of those words. Those words are addressed to those Hebrews during the first century.
- You will probably find yourself automatically reading yourself into the text out of habit. Back up several verses, adjust your thinking, and read the section again.
When you do this, the book of Hebrews becomes much easier to understand.
Christians Misreading and Misunderstanding Hebrews
Here is what usually makes it difficult when Christians read it today. They are so focused on determining how every part of it applies to them in the current day that they miss the original point. Yes, we can learn from Hebrews. But the content is not about us. It is about a completely different audience with whom we don’t have a lot in common. Do we have some things in common in some big picture ways? Yes. But not as much as we assume when we read it with our contemporary lens that we forget exists.
What Was the Day That the Hebrews Saw?
And then ask yourself what verses 23-25 actually mean in light of all that. These words are addressed to them, not us. What would THEY have thought when they read these?
Let us hold resolutely to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds. Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
What was “the Day” they saw approaching? THEY saw it approaching.
If they saw the Day approaching, why would we be seeing the Day approaching 2,000 years later?
Interesting, huh?
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I’ve come to see that a number of those scriptures in Hebrews that talk about “falling away” are aimed at the Hebrews not going back to Judaism again. The message is not to those of us of modern day faith. Some would say these can be some of the scariest scriptures and the most hard hitting to believers, but when you realize what the context of those verses are about, you realize it’s not something to provoke us to fear. It’s to them. It’s always imporant to realize that we’re reading someone else’s mail sometimes when we’re reading Scriptures.
I agree. So many of these verses hit completely differently if you read them in context versus out of context.
Unfortunately many Christians have been trained to insert themselves and their present-day life into every verse of Scripture. It has created a disaster in so many ways.