Research Paper on "Hebrews There Is Much Controversy"

Research Paper 6 pages (1919 words) Sources: 5

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Hebrews

There is much controversy on the subject of the Biblical Epistle of the Hebrews, given that it puts across unconventional concepts and its writer cannot be identified. A great deal of individuals has attempted to solve the enigma presented by the book but they only managed to generate incomplete information. The complex theological thought displayed throughout the epistle has definitely had a strong influence on the Christian Church as it is recognized in the present day. Unlike most books in the Bible, the book of the Hebrews brings forward rational thought, given the fact that it presents sacrifice as an occurrence that can be beneficial and detrimental at the same time. The author insists on Jesus Christ as having a series of characteristics in common with normal individuals. One can understand the epistle of the Hebrews as having the purpose of informing Christians in regard to the persecution they have to endure in order to attain spiritual enlightenment.

It is not certain who the person(s) responsible for writing the epistle of the Hebrews is (are). Some (particularly those in the ancient world) attribute the text to St. Paul, believing that it is the Apostle's fourteenth epistle. This matter is divisive, especially given that some question his authorship in regard to six of the St.'s biblical books. The reason for which most refuse to accept that St. Paul is the author of the book of the Hebrews is that western Christian thought promotes the belief that the epistle's "teaching on the impossibility of repentance and forgiveness for sins committed after Baptism (see 6: 4-6, 10:26-31) was both un-Pauline and wrong" (Smith 9).

The document was initially believed to be written by Paul in Hebrew and translated by Luke in Greek. This can also be associated to the better organized structure of the book, considering that Paul was recognized for the rugged character present in his writings. Ancient scriptural academics, such as Origene, realized that the Hebrew's author was not necessarily important, as the book's content was more significant. Most Christians could not accept St. Paul as the author of the epistle of the Hebrews because the document involved more philosophical thought than it did theological thought. Some individuals have actually expressed their lack of support toward attempting to find an author for the epistle, believing that such an act would be ineffective (Smith 14).

The sacrificial theme is present all through the book of the Hebrews, as the author made a comparison between the sacrifices that the Levitical priests made and the one performed by Jesus Christ. The book is particularly intriguing for the fact that it presents Christ in a dual form, as being the Son of God and a High Priest concomitantly. The book of the Hebrews lobbies for the fact that the sacrifices that the Levitical priests performed only succeeded in producing the feeling of triumph in them, instead of having any beneficial effect on the community they wanted to assist. In contrast, Jesus Christ's sacrifice is remarkable because he managed to give up not only his material life, but he also accepted to renounce his soul, making his sacrifice eternal (Smith 14).

The epistle of the Hebrews does not only advise people to repent in order to obtain clemency but to dedicate their lives toward serving a higher goal. Jesus' sacrifice was more than just a simple sacrifice similar to the ones people did previous to His coming, as it was greater in intensity and had a superior purpose (Manson 85). While Levitical priests performed sacrifices with the intention of helping themselves and their community for the short-term, Jesus' sacrifice was done so as to save mankind forever. One can even say that the Levitical priests displayed a self-centered character in their acts, as they were also interested in their own well-being instead of being interested solely in that of humanity. All things considered, Jesus' acts were based on His capability to be more than just an ordinary priest, as He did not act on account on what He learnt from others, but He did so because of His own will. One can associate Jesus' priesthood to a heavenly one, rather than considering that it was similar to the priesthood expressed by earthly priests. Jesus' priesthood and sacrifice are eternal, whereas the ones conveyed by earthly high priests are temporary (Manson 126).

Redemption is achieved for the moment by the priests who sacrifice animals with the purpose of giving praise to their Lord. However, given that Christ sacrificed himself and allowed His own blood to be shed for the benefit of people, it becomes obvious that His sacrifice was much greater than any sacrifice before and after Him.

While conventional Christian thought promotes concepts relating to how people should commit sacrifices in order to be forgiven, it offers little information relating to how one can do so. Instead, people can end up sacrificing animals and subjecting themselves to controversial treatments without actually realizing why they are doing this, simply being interested in achieving forgiveness for the time being (Long).

When considering sacrifice, there is a probability that the author of the epistle of the Hebrews was not essentially interested in emphasizing the fact that the Levitical priests were not qualified to organize a sacrifice. In contrast, he or she might have intended to highlight that belief should not solely be concentrated on traditionalism and on theories promoted by previous religious individuals. The book of the Hebrews brings forward how people can interpret religion in a wrong way and how this can have destructive effects on themselves and on those around them. It is probably because of the theories supported by Levitical priests that people were reluctant to join them and act accordingly. Christ's methods of preaching and the fact that He did not hesitate to give His life in order for humanity to be saved proves how His methods differed from those of Levitcal priests to the point where religion and mankind were worth more than His own life. Praising God similar to how people in the Old Testament have means little but going through a continuous struggle to do anything in one's power so as for the respective individual to feel forgiven, as forgiveness is for many Christians the one and only goal of their existence. By doing this, people fail from seeing the obvious -- the fact that they should concentrate on things other than their well-being and that they should not stress themselves in trying to become true Christians (Long).

The difference between the religion professed by the Levitical priests and that professed by Jesus Christ is that the former were mainly interested in the material value of their line of work while the latter was interested in the effect of His actions. It is of no use to constantly go through the same process of committing animal sacrifices, organizing church reunions, and praying, as long as one does not succeed in reaching God. Levitical priests went through great efforts in order to achieve their long-desired union with God, whereas Jesus Christ was more interested in helping mankind (Long).

Early Levitical priests believed the sacrificial act to be only based on the death of the animals they were killing. The epistle of the Hebrews goes at providing information on the complexity of the sacrificial act, demonstrating how the actual death of the being sacrificed is but a step of little significance in the overall process. When choosing to sacrifice an animal before God, priests involved little suffering from their behalf, considering that in most occasions they were simple mediators in the sacrifice, as the person owning the animal was responsible with killing it. Thus, it is only natural to conclude that Levitical priests did not undergo any distress in their mission. Christ's sacrifice was much more than an episode meant to inform people on the topic of their forgiveness by God, but it was also intended to prove that they were required to give up earthly values in favor of heavenly ones if they want to comply with the mission God has for them. "Hebrews challenges Christians to follow Jesus "outside the camp," to the place where disgrace and shameful abuse, suffering and loss, are experienced, where obedience, service, and faithfulness must be practiced" (Nelson).

The book of the Hebrews underlines the fact that Jesus himself chose to sacrifice in order to achieve forgiveness for mankind, rather than stating that it was God's will to give up his only Son. In His devotion to the divine being, Jesus decided that it was His mission to give up His material life. This made this sacrifice superior to the ones performed by Levitical priests and humanity was eternally forgiven through it (Nelson).

The typical Levitical sacrifice involved the priest, the animal meant to be sacrificed and the person who donated it. In numerous cases, the animal was eaten consequent to its sacrifice, making the sacrifice even less of an example of the degree to which… READ MORE

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