Hebrews: A Pentecostal Commentary

By Dr. Matthew N. O. Sadiku

Every serious student of the Bible desires to understand the text, discover the biblical principles, and apply the truths to his/her life. This commentary is designed to help students, pastors, and Bible teachers understand the book of Hebrews in a simple manner. Working from the popular New International Version (NIV), the author provides helpful commentary on the text verse-by-verse.
This verse-by-verse commentary is different from others in two respects. First, it is brief while some commentaries are unnecessarily wordy and verbose. Second, it is Pentecostal in outlook. This implies that we generally adhere to the doctrine of biblical inerrancy and adopt a literalist approach to the interpretation of the Bible.
Hebrews has many deep truths which make it a thrilling adventure to read through. It is a treasured work for centuries in the life of the church. It is an indispensable contribution to the New Testament.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Jan 14, 2016
• ISBN: 9781490768021

Dr. Matthew N. O. Sadiku

Matthew N. O. Sadiku is a professor emeritus at Prairie View A & M University, Prairie View, Texas. He is a man of many talents with a broad experience in writing, publishing, education, theology, counseling, and engineering. He is the author of over 1,000 professional articles and over 100 books including Secrets of Successful Marriages, Enemies of Your Marriage, and commentaries on all the books of the New Testament Bible. His books are used worldwide, and some of them have been translated into Korean, Chinese, Italian, French, Portuguese, and Spanish. Janet O. Sadiku studied nursing science from 1975 to 1980 at the University of Ife, now known as Obafemi Awolowo University. She has worked as a nurse, educator, and church minister in Nigeria, United Kingdom, and Canada. She is presently retired with her husband in West Palm Beach, FL.

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Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. [Biblica]

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Scripture quotations marked Scripture quotations marked RSV are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, 1971 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission.

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CONTENTS

Preface

Abbreviations

Introduction

Part 1

The Superiority Of Christ

1   Jesus Is God’s Son

2   The Humanity Of Jesus

3   Jesus Greater Than Moses

4   A Rest For God’s People

5   Christ The Perfect High Priest

6   The Danger Of Falling Away

7   The Priesthood Of Melchizedek

8   Jesus Is Like Melchizedek

9   The New Covenant

10   The Earthly Tabernacle

11   Christ Is The Perfect Offering

12   Christ’s Perfect Sacrifice

Part 2

Practical Application

13   Living By Faith

14   The Heroes Of Faith - Part 1

15   The Heroes Of Faith - Part 2

16   God Disciplines His Children

17   The Obligations Of Faith

18   Evidence Of Faith

19   Final Exhortations

Selected Bibliography

OTHER BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR

Secrets of Successful Marriages

How to Discover God’s Will for Your Life

Wisdom: Your Key to Success

Choosing the Best: Living for What Really Matters

Mark: A Pentecostal Commentary

John 1-11: A Pentecostal Commentary

John 12-21: A Pentecostal Commentary

Romans: A Pentecostal Commentary

1 Corinthians: A Pentecostal Commentary

2 Corinthians: A Pentecostal Commentary

Ephesians: A Pentecostal Commentary

Galatians: A Pentecostal Commentary

Philippians and Titus: A Pentecostal Commentary

Colossians and Philemon: A Pentecostal Commentary

1&2 Thessalonians: A Pentecostal Commentary

1 & 2 Timothy: A Pentecostal Commentary

1 & 2 Peter: A Pentecostal Commentary

James and Jude: A Pentecostal Commentary

1-3 John: A Pentecostal Commentary

Revelation: A Pentecostal Commentary

To

My brother, Julius O. Sadiku

PREFACE

Earnest Christians are hungry for information that makes their Bible come alive. The Christian life can be described as getting to know God better each day. Every Christian should regularly—dailyread the Word of God. We should find time for quiet or personal devotions. The reason we have so many bad days is that we do not spend time with God. We must spend time with God if we want His blessings on our lives and to hear from Him.

For over 20 years I have used commentaries in my devotions. The blessings derived from the commentaries are overwhelming. I am writing this commentary to share some of those blessings and lessons I have learned over the years.

This commentary provides verse-by-verse exposition and application on Hebrews. It is different from others in two respects. First, it is brief while some commentaries are unnecessarily wordy and verbose. This commentary does not delve into critical and exegetical details. Therefore, the limits of this commentary forbid that we consider all the views concerning any issue, but an attempt will be made to provide a brief, sound, yet scholarly view. Second, it is Pentecostal in outlook. This implies that we generally adhere to the doctrine of biblical inerrancy and adopt a literalist approach to the interpretation of the Bible. Pentecostal doctrines include speaking in tongues, gifts of the Holy Spirit, signs and wonders, divine inspiration, divine healing, to mention but a few. The early church was basically Pentecostal in nature, i.e. it exercised considerable freedom in using the gifts of the Holy Spirit in her life and worship. Although this book is written from a Pentecostal perspective, I draw ideas from scholars from all denominations and hope that this book serve all Christians.

The task of writing a commentary on a verse is similar to what the Amplified Bible does to the verse. If the verse in a regular version is regarded as 100%, the Amplified Bible typically amplifies it to 150%, while the commentary typically amplifies it to 500%. Thus, the commentary helps you see the verse clearly.

It is not easy to write a commentary on any book in the Bible. In order to provide a readable text, this commentary is based on the New International Version (NIV) translation. The commentary is for laymen, pastors, teachers, and all students of the Word. It is designed to enrich your quiet time or personal study by making the commentary clear and simple. With your Bible in one hand and this commentary in the other, you will be able to unpack the deep truths of God’s Word. It is my prayer that this commentary brings you both delight and insight in understanding the Word of God.

I owe a great deal to many scholars whose commentaries on Hebrews I have consulted. It is my pleasure and honor to thank Dr. Solomon Osho and Samuel Aguocha (LLB Hon) for reviewing the manuscript and Emmanuel Shadare for drawing a figure. I owe special thanks to my wife for her support and prayer.

ABBREVIATIONS

INTRODUCTION

With the possible exception of Revelation, no other NT book focuses as fully on the greatness of Jesus Christ as Hebrews. To speak of drawing nearer to God, marching to Zion, entering the promised land, finding a place of rest, and approaching the divine mercy seat is to enter the world of Hebrews.¹ Hebrews has many deep truths which make it a thrilling adventure to read through. It is a treasured work for centuries in the life of the church. It is an indispensable contribution to the NT. It is well worth our careful study.

Before we start on our journey through this profound book, we should first consider some preliminary matters—authorship, the date and recipient, and the message—that warrant our attention on this book.

Authorship

We do not know who wrote Hebrews. The epistle itself names no one as author. The author refers to himself as a second-generation Christian (Hebrews 2:3). Many people including Bible experts have guessed as to who the author is and are still guessing. The traditional view is that Paul wrote Hebrews. However, the style of the book differs from Paul’s letters. With Paul ruled out, other candidates such as Barnabas, Apollos, Aquila, Peter, Luke, Silas, Priscilla, and Clement of Rome have been suggested. The Holy Spirit has considered it fit to use unnamed writers in giving us the Bible. We do not need to know the author to appreciate the epistle.

Date and Recipient

We do not know the audience. The letter was probably written to the Jewish Christians. The Jews were also known as Hebrews. (The name Hebrew denotes all the descendants of Jacob.) The recipients were probably Jewish believers who had never heard or seen Jesus in person. They were Hellenistic Jews who were familiar with the Septuagint. Where did they live? We do not know for certain. Opinions have varied between Judea and Spain.

The epistle does not provide a means of knowing for certain where it was written. Some have suggested it was written from Rome, some from Macedonia, some from Corinth, but no concrete evidence can be given to support these opinions.

Hebrews was written approximately A.D. 63 in Rome. This date is selected because the book refers to religious sacrifices and ceremonies and there is lack of reference to the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Thus a date later than A.D. 70 is reasonably unacceptable. Mention of Timothy in Hebrews 13:23 suggests that the letter was written during his lifetime.

Message

Hebrews is a masterpiece applicable to all believers. It was written to give confidence to some wavering believers. The author urged them to persevere to the end in the Christian journey and not to fall back to Judaism or yield to the evil designs of their persecutors. He persuaded them to hold on to the better covenant and better priesthood.

The main message or theme of Hebrews is the preeminence of Jesus Christ. Christ is greater than the angels. Christianity is superior to Judaism. Christ is supreme and completely better than any OT institution. In fact, Hebrews has been called the book of better things—a better hope, a better covenant, better promises, better sacrifices, a better possession, a better country, etc. We may also regard a significant part of Hebrews as a sermon on the central theme: Do not fall away.

During the third and second centuries B.C., the Hebrew Scriptures (OT) were translated into Greek. The resulting book is known as the Septuagint (or LXX). The writer of Hebrews quotes a lot from the Septuagint. The OT in our English Bibles today is based on the ancient Hebrew texts, not on the Greek translation. This explains the difference between a text quoted in Hebrews and our copy of the OT.

NOTES

¹.   James W. Thompson, Hebrews (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008), p. 3.

PART 1

THE SUPERIORITY OF CHRIST

Hebrews 1:1-10:18

CHAPTER 1

JESUS IS GOD’S SON

Hebrews 1:1-14

God has Spoken

Verses 1-3: In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. ³ The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

1 Without opening greetings or an indication of the writer’s name, Hebrews does not delay in getting to its point. For this reason some have regarded Hebrew as