The Hebrews are Coming...

As a reminder, our often myopic Western viewpoint sometimes makes us forget that Christianity has its roots in real Judaism. Originally, Christianity appeared to be a mere sect of Judaism. The very early church was almost completely comprised of Jews, and believing Jews remained a numerically significant part of the church well into the 2nd Century.

We so often forget the milieu in which the New Testament books were written. The Homily to the Hebrews reminds us of this. It reminds us we have spiritual roots in a history that goes back way beyond Luther or Calvin or the Wesleys - all the way back to Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, Who was acknowledged by many Jews but rejected by most, and about Whom all the ancient oracles of the Hebrews testified.

In the first century the question of Jewish tradition was a powerful cultural and theological tool in the hands of the opponents of Christianity - both demonic and human. And it was these forces that the writer to the Hebrews saw at work and against whom He preached.

At issue are the questions of atonement (Yom Kippur) and judgement (Rosh Hashana). In this beautiful and reverent video, ask yourself how repentance, prayer and righteousness factor in averting the severe decree of God. It is true that they do. But HOW they do, and Whose righteousness is involved, is at the heart of the New Covenant, and is what eventually proved to be at the root of the warning to the professing Jews in the early church, to whom the Homily to the Hebrews was written.




Keep tuned into this space for the Hebrews study, which is coming in a week or so.