The Structure and Content of Hebrews
How can we tell that the author of Hebrews is targeting a Jewish audience?
Answer
More than any other epistle in the New Testament, the book of Hebrews is filled with Old Testament references and imagery. It's targeting a Jewish audience, and so, grounding faith in Christ in the fulfillment of Old Testament promises is essential to the argument the author is trying to make. And so, there are a lot of references to the priesthood and the sacrificial system, even Melchizedek, because the author wants them to know that their faith is well-grounded, and not something radically new, but something radically, wonderfully old that's now fulfilled in Christ.
Dr. Erik Thoennes is Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies at Talbot School of Theology
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