4:12-13—The Power of God’s Word
(1) What was the Word of God that the author has just quoted from Scriptures to warn his readers? (4:7)
(2) In urging them to take God’s word seriously, the author likens the Word of God to a sword.
a. How powerful is a normal “double-edged” sword?
b. In what way is the Word of God more powerful than a “double-edged” sword? (v. 12)
(3) Can one hide his thoughts from it? Why or why not?
(4) Even if we seek to hide from it, what will happen when we see God?
4:14-16—What We Should do “Today”
(5) Since the completion of His work of salvation on the cross, where is Christ now?
(6) In what capacity is He serving in heaven?
(7) What then does the author urge us (i.e. those who have professed faith in Christ) to do? (v. 14)
(8) What privilege do we have with Christ as our High Priest in heaven? (v. 15)
(9) Why is the throne of God now called the throne of grace?
(10) How then should you take advantage of it? (v. 16)
(11) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
5:1-6—Human High Priest
(1) What function(s) is a human priest supposed to serve? (v. 1)
(2) Why is a human high priest able to deal gently with the ignorant and sinful? (v. 2)
(3) What does he have to do for himself in order to serve? (v. 3)
(4) Who can serve as a high priest? (v. 4)
(5) In what way(s) is Christ like a human high priest? (v. 4-6; Ps. 110:4)
5:7-10—Christ, the High Priest
(6) In v.7, the author refers to particular experiences of Jesus. Describe them in the instances below:
a. At the cross (Matt. 27:33ff)
b. At the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt. 26:36-46)
(7) What does the author seek to highlight in this experience of suffering, struggle and submission?
(8) What does this experience have to do with His appointment as the High Priest after Melchizedek?
(9) What does Jesus’ suffering, struggle and submission mean to you personally?
(10) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
5:11–6:3—Frustration Over Immaturity
(1) When explaining the need of Christ to suffer as He took on our humanity “in the order of Melchizedek”, the author expresses his frustration over the immaturity of his readers:
a. Why does the author say that such an explanation pertains to “the elementary truths of God’s word”? (5:12)
b. What does the author attribute their spiritual immaturity to? (5:11)
(2) How then can a believer mature from an infant into a mature person? (5:13-14)
(3) How important it is for a believer to be able to be fed solid food? (5:14)
(4) What are included in the list of “elementary teachings”? (6:1-2)
(5) The list obviously contains very important basic truths of the Christian faith:
a. What is meant by to “leave” these elementary teachings, as important as they are? (6:1)
b. If a believer needs to be constantly reminded of and be taught over and over again concerning these truths, what might be wrong with his or her faith?
6:4-12—Warning and Assurance
(6) What is meant by a person who has:
a. Been enlightened? (enlightened by what?)
b. Tasted the heavenly gift? (What is the heavenly gift?)
c. Become a sharer in the Holy Spirit?
d. Tasted the goodness of the Word of God and the powers of the coming age?
(7) Consider the questions below concerning the possibility that such a person above would “fall away” from faith, or that such a person would be brought back to repentance.
a. Which of the 2 possibilities is more “impossible”?
b. Why?
(8) In the author’s opinion, which is in fact the case with his readers? (v. 9)
(9) If a person who has the spiritual experience described in 6:4 does fall away from faith, why does the author say that such a person is in fact, “crucifying the Son of God all over again”? (6:6)
(10) Why is such a person’s fate likened to land that is in danger of being cursed? (6:7-8)
(11) What signs of faith have his readers demonstrated? (6:10)
(12) In urging them to be diligent and not be lazy (or dull):
a. What hope does the author refer to? (6:11)
b. Who are the ones they should imitate? (6:12; you may want to preview these people of faith in chapter 11)
(13) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
The author of Hebrews uses the certainty of hope promised in the eternal salvation in Christ to encourage his readers to persevere in their faith (6:12) and now he uses God’s promise to Abraham as an example to illustrate the certainty of God’s promise:
(1) What is the purpose of “swearing” under normal human circumstances? (v. 16)
(2) What was God’s purpose in giving this promise to Abraham under oath? (v. 17)
(3) Why was this promise so important? (see Gen. 22:15-18)
(4) How long did it take for this promise to be received by Abraham, i.e. from the time the promise was first made (Gen. 12:4) to the time it was honored (Gen. 21:5)? (Also see Heb. 11:11-12.)
(5) God’s swearing by Himself was indeed special (v. 13) and it is based on “two unchangeable things” (v. 18):
a. What are these two unchangeable things?
b. How did the coming to pass of the Abrahamic Promise speak to “the hope set before us”? (v. 18)
(6) “We have this hope” (v. 19)
a. What is this hope? (3:6; also see 1 Pet. 1:3)
b. How does this hope serve as an anchor for the soul?
c. Is this true of you? Why or why not?
d. What has this hope accomplished for us (vv. 19-20)?
- What is meant by entering “the inner sanctuary behind the curtain”? (v. 19; 10:19-23 and see Matt. 27:51 also)
- How important is it that Jesus has become a high priest forever on our behalf? (v. 20: i.e. what if Jesus has not entered into the inner sanctuary on our behalf?)
(7) What is the message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
It is helpful to read the background story of Melchizedek in Genesis 14:18-20:
7:1-3—The Resemblance to the Son of God
(1) The author of Hebrews ascribes to Melchizedek two titles:
a. What does his name mean?
b. What does being the king of Salem mean?
c. How do these two meanings combine to speak to the office of our Lord Jesus Christ and who He is?
(2) What special information about the origin of Melchizedek is given by the author of Hebrews? (v. 3)
(3) In what ways does Melchizedek resemble the Son of God? (v. 3)
7:4-10—The Greatness of Melchizedek
(4) Who is Abraham to the people of Israel? (see Matt. 3:9)
(5) How significant is it that even Abraham gave a tenth of his plunder to Melchizedek? (v. 4)
(6) While the Levites also received a tenth from the people, how were they compared to Melchizedek and why? (v. 9)
(7) What do both Abraham and the Levites each say concerning who Melchizedek is?
(8) While we really do not know who Melchizedek is, how does he serve perfectly as a “type” for Christ?
(9) What is the main message to you today, and how may you apply it to your life?
A Perfect and Everlasting Priesthood
(1) Read Psalm 110:4:
a. How is this verse from the Psalm split into two parts by the author of Hebrews? (vv. 17 and 21)
b. What is the emphasis on each part?
(2) What does the need for another priest, who is not in Aaron's order, signify about the original Levitical priesthood established by the Law of Moses? (v. 11)
(3) The people might object to Christ Jesus as the High Priest as foretold by Psalm 110:4. Based on the fact that He is not from the tribe of Levi, but from the tribe of Judah,
a. How does the author of Hebrews answer this objection? (vv. 13-15)
b. What then is this appointment of Christ based on? (v. 16)
(4) What is the purpose of the Levitical priesthood and why is it not perfect? (vv. 19-20)
(5) The one based on oath guarantees a better covenant (vv. 22-28)
a. How is Christ different from other priests in terms of His permanency? (vv. 23-25)
b. How does it make it a better covenant?
c. Who is Christ compared to the Levitical priests (v. 26)
d. How does it make Him “a High Priest (who) truly meets our needs”? (vv. 26-28)
(6) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Having established the superiority and efficacy of the High Priesthood of Christ, the author explains how this High Priest carries out His duties in the next 2½ chapters (to 10:18), and in this chapter, he links His ministry to the “new covenant”:
(1) A summary of the foregoing arguments (vv. 1-2):
a. The author has already pointed out in 1:3 that the Son of God has sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven: What are the additional emphases that he makes here in 8:1?
b. What is the importance of this High Priest, now serving in the sanctuary (the Holy of Holies) of the true tabernacle? (8:2) What is meant by the true tabernacle?
(2) The true tabernacle (vv. 3-7)
a. What function does the high priest serve in offering both gifts and sacrifices on behalf of the people to God? (v. 3)
b. Why is their service called “a copy and a shadow” of what is in heaven? (v. 5)
c. Why then was Moses warned as he was commissioned to build the tabernacle to “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain”? (v. 5; Exod. 25:40)
d. From the discussion in vv. 3-7:
- In what way(s) is Jesus similar to the earthly high priest?
- In what way(s) is Jesus superior to the earthly high priest?
(3) A new covenant based on better promises (vv. 7-12; the author is quoting from Jer. 31:31-34 who prophesied from Jerusalem at the time of the captivity)
a. With whom is this new covenant made? How important is it that this covenant is made not just with Judah? (v. 8)
b. When was the old covenant made and what was wrong with it? (vv. 7, 9; see Exod. 3:7-8)
c. Why is the new covenant effective and
why wasn't the old covenant effective? (v. 10)d. What will happen to cause all of the people know the Lord? (v. 12)
(4) More will be discussed by the author in the next chapters to explain how this new covenant is being ministered by the heavenly High Priest. For now, can you highlight the main differences between the old and the new covenant?
(5) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?