The inscription added to this letter in the 2nd century was "The Letter to the Hebrews." This letter was written to Hebrew Christians. We know this because of the emphasis on the Levitical priesthood and sacrifices, and an absence of any reference to Gentiles.
The purpose of the letter was to warn against apostasy during persecution. It's when believers suffer that believers consider stop following Christ, or consider compromising in their walk with the Lord when things get tough. The Hebrew people would suffer severe persecution for identifying with Christ as the Messiah. Instead of surrendering their lives to Christ, many of them were turning away and going back into Judaism because life was so much easier for them that way. Nothing in the book of Hebrews speaks about losing salvation.
In order to understand the various passages and the various sections of Hebrews, we have to understand that there are three separate groups to whom it was written:
1) To Hebrew believers.
2) To Hebrews who have an intellectual understanding of Christ but have not been saved, and they are considering going back to the religious system of Judaism because of the persecution for identifying with Hebrew believers. ( Hebrews 6:4-6). So these are Hebrews who understand what's being taught, and they intellectually agree with it, but they have never received Christ. ( Hebrews 10:26).
3) There were also Hebrew unbelievers. These were those who were at these meetings, those who were in the crowd that just did not believe.
So by understanding these three groups, we can better understand some of the scriptures that are being presented, and why some of these Hebrew people were turning away and going back into Judaism. There are sections of scriptures to each one of these three groups in the book of Hebrews.
The inscription added to this letter in the 2nd century was "The Letter to the Hebrews." This letter was written to Hebrew Christians. We know this because of the emphasis on the Levitical priesthood and sacrifices, and an absence of any reference to Gentiles.
The purpose of the letter was to warn against apostasy during persecution. It's when believers suffer that believers consider stop following Christ, or consider compromising in their walk with the Lord when things get tough. The Hebrew people would suffer severe persecution for identifying with Christ as the Messiah. Instead of surrendering their lives to Christ, many of them were turning away and going back into Judaism because life was so much easier for them that way. Nothing in the book of Hebrews speaks about losing salvation.
In order to understand the various passages and the various sections of Hebrews, we have to understand that there are three separate groups to whom it was written:
1) To Hebrew believers.
2) To Hebrews who have an intellectual understanding of Christ but have not been saved, and they are considering going back to the religious system of Judaism because of the persecution for identifying with Hebrew believers. ( Hebrews 6:4-6). So these are Hebrews who understand what's being taught, and they intellectually agree with it, but they have never received Christ. ( Hebrews 10:26).
3) There were also Hebrew unbelievers. These were those who were at these meetings, those who were in the crowd that just did not believe.
So by understanding these three groups, we can better understand some of the scriptures that are being presented, and why some of these Hebrew people were turning away and going back into Judaism. There are sections of scriptures to each one of these three groups in the book of Hebrews.
I meant to place Hebrews 10:26 in the third category, not the second. Sorry about that!
1 Corinthians 10:11
Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
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