HEBREWS STUDY OUTLINE

HEBREWS

Hebrews is a book of exhortation

A letter of exhortation to believers (13:22)

Hebrews is a book of warnings

Warning not to neglect our great salvation.
Warning not to harden our hearts against the Holy Spirit.
Warning not to become slothful.
Warning not to draw back into apostasy.
Warning of sin and rejection of Jesus.

Hebrews is a book of comparisons

Jesus is greater than the prophets.
Jesus is greater than the angels.
Jesus is greater than Moses.
Jesus is greater than Joshua.
Jesus’ priesthood is greater than the priesthood of Aaron.
The new covenant is greater than the old.
The blood of Christ is greater than the blood of animals.

Hebrews is a book of redemption themes

The sufferings and exaltation of Jesus Christ
The high priestly ministry of Christ
The new covenant
The blood of Christ
The reward for enduring faith

The outline of Hebrews

The Son in whom God speaks is greater than the prophets ( 1:1-2).
The glory of the Son (1:3).
The superiority of the Son to angels (1:4-7).
The exaltation of the Son (1:8-14).
FIRST WARNING: Not to neglect our great salvation (2:1-3).
God’s power confirming the gospel – a foretaste of the world to come (2:4-5).
Humanity lower than angels (2:6-8).
Jesus humanity and suffering for us (2:9-10).
Jesus accepts us as his brethren (2:11-13).
Jesus defeated the devil (2:14-15).
Jesus is the seed of Abraham (2:16).
Jesus is a merciful and faithful high priest (2:17-18).
Jesus is the apostle and high priest of our faith (3:1).
Jesus was faithful to God (3:2).
Jesus is greater than Moses (3:3-6).
SECOND WARNING: Do not grieve the Holy Spirit (3:7-11). Do not harden your heart through the deceitfulness of sin (3:12-15).
Israel fail in the wilderness because of unbelief (3:16-19).
We are to fear God and learn from Israel’s example in the wilderness (Hebrews 4:1-2).
Entering into God’s true Sabbath rest: the finished work of Christ (Hebrews 4:3-11).
Nothing hid from Christ (Hebrews 4:12-13).
Our great high priest in the heavens (4:14-16).
The ministry of the high priest ( 5:1-4).
Christ called to be a high priest (5:5-6).
Christ perfected as high priest ( 5:7-11).
THIRD WARNING: Slothfulness which results in apostasy (5:1-6:12).
- Spiritual growth and the Word of God (5:12-14).
- The principles of the doctrines of Christ (6:1-3).
- Qualifications for permeate apostasy (6:4-8).
- Exhortation to the brethren – God’s faithfulness (6:9-11).
- Warning against slothfulness (6:12).
Abraham our example of faith and patience (6:12-15).
God’s promises and oaths give strong confidence (6:16-18).
Jesus, in the presence of God, is our hope (Hebrews 6:19-20).
Abraham and Melchisedek (7:1-2).
Melchisedek, a type of Christ (7:2-4).
Melchisedek in contrast to Aaron and the Levites (7:5-11).
The change of priesthood and law (7:12).
The priesthood of Jesus Christ in contrast to the priesthood of Aaron (7:13-24).
The ministry of Jesus in the heavens (7:25-8:2).
The purpose of the ministry of an high priest (8:3 -4 see also 5:1-3).
The priesthood under the law was an example and shadow of Christ (8:5).
Jesus has a more excellent ministry than the old testament priests (Hebrews 8:6).
The fault of the first covenant (8:7-8).
The new covenant replaced the old (8:8-13).
The ordinances of divine service under the first covenant (9:1-10).
Christ fulfills the old testament foreshadowing (9:11-15).
Testaments and the death of the testator (9:16-17).
The first testament dedicate with the blood of sacrificial animals (9:18-22).
- The first covenant had to be law, because the blood of animals could not take away sin. Only the blood of Jesus can take away sin.
Christ, fulfills the old testament type and his ministry in the heavens (9:23-28).
The sacrifices under the shadow (the law) had no power to put away sin (10:1-4).
Christ came to do the will of God (10:5-10).
The ineffectiveness of the priests under the law (10:11).
The finished work of Jesus Christ (10:12-14).
The Holy Spirit’s witness of the finished work of Christ & the new covenant (10:15-18).
The invitation to come boldly before God by the blood of Jesus and the high priestly ministry of Christ (10:19-22).
Exhortations to preserver in faith (10:23-25).
FOURTH WARNING: Willful sinning and drawing back (10:26-39).
The faith of the great cloud of witnesses (11:1-12:1).
Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (12:2-4).
The chastening of the Lord (12:5-11).
Exhortation to press on in faith (12:12-14).
FIFTH WARNING: The summation of all the other warnings – beware of sin and rejection of Jesus (12:15-29).
Exhortation to live a godly life daily (13:1-19)
- continue in brotherly love
- entertain strangers
- remember those who are in prison
- remember those who are being mistreated
- be faithful in marriage
- do not love money
- remember God’s promise to never fail or leave them
- remember those who have taught them the word of God and follow their faith
- do not be carried away by various and strange doctrines
- establish your hearts in grace
- bear the Lord’s reproach (i.e., suffer for his name)
- offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually in the name of Jesus
- don’t neglect doing good to the needy
- submit to those who are their leaders in the Lord
- continue praying for him (the writer) and those with him.
Prayer of encouragement (13:20-21).
Appeal to accept the epistle as a letter of exhortation (13:22).
The complimentary close (13:23-25).