To better grasp the subject matter among the chapters in my reading this week, I went through the textbook material and watched Jobes’ companion video lectures about Hebrews scripture. I did this to get the structure and organization of the textbook and to understand the author’s views and methods. Jobes’ presentation of the subject matter in the book of Hebrews is a high-level topical survey about the core message in our reading. Meaning, she sets up a linear sequence of the more relevant Hebrews text, specifically, about the divine revelation of God the Father through Christ, the Christology of Hebrews, and salvation through Christ (soteriology). Each successive point is predicated upon another as necessary to set up and build further interest, comprehension, and acceptance.
Jobes delivers her written and verbal material by categorical thought. She tracks the Hebrews subject matter in a way that matches what the Hebrews author intends to say to his/her readers. Jobes’ views are a walkthrough of how the surface of the English text reads.
Divine Revelation in Hebrews
What three contrasts does Hebrews make as it presents Jesus as the final revelation of God?
- Contrast of Times – When
- Contrast of Audience – Who
- Contrast of Mode – How
Not concerning “what” or “why” until later in the text. Specifically about verses 1-3,
“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, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.” – Heb 1:3
Contrasts in Hebrews
| Contrast of Times: | long ago | in these last days |
| Contrast of Audience: | to the fathers | to us |
| Contrast of Mode of Revelation: | in the prophets in many portions and in many ways | in His Son |
The Christology of Hebrews (Ch.3)
Which two distinctive roles of Jesus do Hebrews present, and how are they related?
- Jesus as Son of God
- The Son as Priest of God
These roles are related by how they function. Namely, as Jobes writes, Jesus’ identity as Son of God and Great High Priest bears the most significance. As a type of priest of the Old Testament tabernacle who would enter the Holy of Holies, Jesus, the Son, appeared before God the Father by His ascension (i.e., a physical movement “up” through space-time into the presence of God as God is Spirit). After His crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus as Son of God ascended to appear before the Father to offer His sacrifice as acceptable and pleasing for the satisfactory atonement and redemption of humanity. While reconciliation to God is an act of restorative creation, the Son honors the Father as He returns to His seat of power with God and as God (“right hand of God” Heb 1:3c, anthropomorphically speaking). In contrast to Jobes’ view that the coronation occurred by ascension (Jobes, 110), other research papers offer a different perspective where the Kingly accession of Christ on Earth involves His coronation before resurrection and ascension. See Brettler,1 Marcus,2 and Shelton.3
The Soteriology of Hebrews
On what basic concept is soteriology in Hebrews grounded?
Without separate reference to the ordo solutis, Jobes adheres to the method of redemption as the purification of sins written about in the Hebrews text (Heb 1:3b). The purification of sins among people redeemed is the saving work of Christ (Jobes, 118). This is the soteriology of Hebrews as Jesus is the Son of God who serves as Messianic and Kingly Priest who purifies the sins of those across covenants which are of Christ and given to the Father. More specifically, those who were “to the fathers and to us” (Heb 1:1-2).
Jobes makes reference to a paper entitled “Perfection and Eschatology in Hebrews” as it is about Christ’s role as Mediator (Heb 8:6, 9:15, 12:24). As the Son of God (Heb 1:5), Jesus became the perfect author of salvation for bringing “sons to glory” (Heb 2:10) as High Priest through His suffering. What Jesus obtained for His people (justification) is what the Spirit applies to them (sanctification). This is what Jobes meant by “pioneer” and “perfector” in reference to the Silva paper linked above. In the paper, F.F. Bruce defines “perfection” as access to God. As made possible through Christ, the perfect Mediator, but it intuitively seems that F.F. Bruce could have said “perfection” correlates to access (not defines it). My assumption was this: to make perfect means to render without blemish. However, Jesus, already perfect morally, became the perfect Mediator by role and function.
Jesus as Perfect Mediator
The purpose of Mediator is Prophet, Priest, and King. All of them together constitute Jesus as Mediator. See Galatians 3:19 as Moses was a type of mediator. After Jesus’ accession as coronated King, Jesus’ emergent status as Priest (Heb 5:6) rendered Him the perfect Mediator. The role of coronated King is subordinate to Jesus’ recognized and perfected status as Mediator (Heb 5:6) who became begotten (to become an agent or Son). So, best I can tell, while He was God with divine attributes, He became King by accession, then became High Priest through crucifixion, and thereafter became perfected Mediator by His suffering and appearance before God the Father. As Jesus was before the Father in Heaven, He functions as Mediator (High Priest, King of Kings, and Prophet).
Where I’m puzzled by what Jobes wrote is the difference between an earthly coronation and heavenly exaltation. I’ve understood that Jesus was coronated as King (royalty over subjects) to attain rulership of the Kingdom of God (“by way of the sea”; Isa 9:1, Matt 4:15, and “repent the kingdom of Heaven is at hand”; Matt 4:17). I’m beginning to suspect that Jesus’ ascension as King of the Kingdom of God (on Earth) is a copy and shadow of His better ascension as King of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus was anointed King at John’s baptism. He then was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to overcome a foe (temptation of Satan). After that, He was coronated as King and so named several times (by mockery and parody) to become ruler of the Kingdom of God on Earth (copy and shadow of Kingdom of Heaven). Remember, “my kingdom is not of this world” during the trial before Pilate. The Kingdom of God was where His people would go during the second Exodus as they were born again of the Spirit after Pentecost. These stages were the ancient Israelite tripartite pattern of accession followed by Saul, David, Solomon, and others before Christ. Through this pattern of accession, and His Priesthood, Jesus would lead His people back to the Father as Mediator, where His kingship was of integral necessity.
Since the human status of King is inferior or subordinate to His role as Messiah, the chief office He held was as the perfect Mediator between God and humanity. He functions as Priest between God the Father and humanity as an exalted Mediator in Heaven. Jesus was coronated King of the Kingdom of God on Earth, just as He is coronated King of the Kingdom of Heaven.
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1 Marc Zvi Brettler – God Is King: Understanding an Israelite Metaphor, vol. 76, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement Series (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1989), 51.
2 Joel Marcus, “Crucifixion as Parodic Exaltation” Journal of Biblical Literature, vol. 125, no. 1, 2006, pp. 73–87.
3 W. Brian Shelton, “An Ancient Israelite Pattern of Kingly Accession in the Life of Christ,” Trinity Journal 25, no. 1 (2004): 72.
