The Messianic Jewish Epistles, Part One: The Book of Hebrews (BHD 106)
Study The book of Hebrews with a Hebrew, Dr. Fruchtenbaum
Dive DEEP, DEEP, DEEP, into the Word so that you can answer questions such as:
- Who wrote the book of Hebrews? Is it an epistle or a sermon?
- What do we know about the Jewish believers to whom the author was writing?
- What is meant by the phrase “High Priest of our confession”?
- Why does the author repeatedly use the word “today” from Psalm 95:7?
- Does Hebrews 6:1-8 teach that one can lose their salvation?
- Does Hebrews teach that the Law of Moses has been rendered inoperative?
- Was the New Covenant given to Israel or to the church?
- How can we gain a deeper appreciation of Yeshua as our High Priest?
- Level: Associate’s
- Discipline: The B’rit Hadasha – N.T. Biblical Studies
- Course Title: The Messianic Jewish Epistles, Part One: The Book of Hebrews
- Course Code: BHD 106
- Prerequisites Recommended: None
- Instructor: Dr. Fruchtenbaum
- Length: Three Units: 10 Segments, 10 hours of video lectures
- Course Cost: $99 (excluding textbooks)
- Audit Cost: $49 (excluding textbooks)
“The Epistle to the Hebrews, one of the most important books of the New Testament. It contains some of the chief doctrines of the faith. To study it is to partake of strong spiritual meat.To abide in its teachings is to be led from immaturity to maturity in the knowledge of biblical truth and of Messiah Himself.”
The video above is the first video segment for this course; there are 10 video segments for this course. Some video segments are shorter (25min.) some are long (145 min.).
Meet Your Instructor
Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum
Th.M. Dallas Theological Seminary, Ph.D. New York University
Dr. Fruchtenbaum is the Founder and Director of Ariel Ministries. He is a world-class Bible scholar and authority on Messianic Jewish Theology and biblical Studies. He also has been a prolific author and in-demand Bible teacher and conference speaker in the United States, Canada, India, Israel, Germany, Hungary, Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, and many other nations.
I. Course Outline
Unit 1: Introduction to Hebrews and The Pre-Eminence of the Son in His Person and Work: Part One
Unit 1 Exam
Unit 2: The Pre-Eminence of the Son in His Person and Work: Part Two
A Better Position (4:14-16)
A Better Priest: The Prerequisites of Priesthood (5:1-4)
A Better Priest: The Qualification of the Son (5:5-10)
The Fact of Stagnation (5:11-14)
The Need for Progression (6:1-8)
The Certainty of Salvation (6:9-20)
A Better Sanctuary (9:1-10)
Unit 2 Exam
Unit 3: The Practical Application of the Pre-Eminence of the Son in the Walk of the Believer – 10:19-13:25
The Evidence of the Life of Faith (11:1-40)
Concluding Exhortations – 13:1-25
Postscript
Unit 3 Exam
II. Course Learning Objectives
- There are Course Learning Objectives for each Segment of the course.
- So, for this course (Messianic Jewish Epistles, Part One) there are 10 Segments, thus 10 separate sets of learning objectives.
For example, here are the Learning Objectives for Segment #1
Segment #1 Learning Objectives
After studying this segment, students should be able to:
- Summarize what we know about the author of the book of Hebrews
- List the seven things that can be learned about the readers of Hebrews
- Identify the location of the readers and state the evidence supporting this
- Know the evidence which supports a A.D. 64-66 date for the writing of this book
- Be aware of the way the author of Hebrews builds his case on a number of theological examples from the Old Testament
- Explain how Matthew 12:22-35 and Acts 2:38-41 relate to the book of Hebrews
- State the occasion and purpose of the book as well as the author’s methodology
- Know the five key words, two main divisions, and theme
- Be more aware of the pressure upon Jewish believers by unbelieving Jews to renounce Messiah and return to “normative” Judaism, both in the first century and also today
III. Required Textbooks and
Required Reading
- For each of the 10 Segments you will see this heading which lists the required reading for that particular Segment.
- Students can do this required reading before or after watching the Segment video lecture.
Segment #1 Required Reading
There are two required textbooks, Fruchtenbaum’s and Allen’s, listed below, and two additional required resources which are free pdf files from Dr. Thomas Constable and Dr. J. Paul Tanner (also listed below). This does not include the Bible, which of course is THE BOOK for the course. For assigned readings, we will refer to each book by the author’s last name and an abbreviated title as follows:
- Fruchtenbaum, MJE refers to – Fruchtenbaum, Arnold G. The Messianic Jewish Epistles: Hebrews, James, First Peter, Second Peter, Jude. 1st ed. Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries, 2005.
- Allen, NAC refers to – Allen, David L. Hebrews, The New American Commentary. Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group, 2010.
- Constable, NoH refers to – Constable, Thomas L. “Notes on Hebrews,” 2020 edition. This is a free resource courtesy of Dr. Thomas Constable. It is available as a PDF file download.
- Tanner, DCLN refers to – Tanner, J. Paul. “Detailed Class Lecture Notes,” 2012 edition. This is a free resource courtesy of Dr. J. Paul Tanner. His commentary,The Blood of a Better Covenant: A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews, which is often listed with optional readings, is available as free PDF file download. If there are required readings for Tanner in some segments, it will be from his detailed class lecture notes and the title he selected for that lecture will be listed in quotation marks and the free pdf file will be provided as a download.
For This Segment #1 Read:
- Fruchtenbaum, MJE – Read the Introduction
- Allen, NAC – Read the Introduction. This is a long introduction and you are required to read all it (Parts 1-7). This may take several days to read through so do a portion day-by-day as you are able. It will be worth your time and effort. Remember, this is a college/seminary course and the focus is on just one book, the book of Hebrews. The goal of this course that that you will have learned a great deal about the book of Hebrews, thus it will require a substantial investmet of your time and effort. It is God’s Word, so there is nothing more important to study.
- Tanner, DCLN – Read “Canonicity of the Book of Hebrews,” “Introductory Matters,” and “Overall Message and the Warning Passages”
Note: The textbook, The Messianic Jewish Epistles, can be purchased directly from Ariel (electronic copy or hardcover) or from any other retail source. To order this please contact the Ariel home office (210) 344-7707 or (877) 242-7435. Email at orders@ariel.org Ariel Ministries does not carry or stock or order the other required textbook for this course: Hebrews: New American Commentary by David Allen, B&H Academic, 2010. You will need to purchase this online from: Christianbook.com or Amazon.com or another online retailer, or Logos Bible software sells it in electronic format. You can also order it directly from the publisher: https://www.bhacademic.com/products/hebrews/
IV. Optional Reading
- You will also see this heading, Optional Reading, for each of the 16 Segments for this course.
- Optional reading is not required but it is recommended. Optional reading items are helpful but keep in mind that Ariel Ministries does not necessarily endorse all the content or doctrines in the optional readings in this course. For an example of this part of the curriculum, here is the Optional Reading for Segment #1
For example of this part of the curriculum, here is the
Optional Reading for Segment #1:
Segment #1 Optional Reading
Read about the persecution Dr. Fruchtenbaum endured when he became a believer in Yeshua, and the pressure he was under to renounce his faith in Yeshua and return to “normative” Judaism:
- L. Jesse Grace, Chosen Fruit: The Personal Life Story of Dr. Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Founder and President of Ariel Ministries. (San Antonio: Ariel Ministries, 2015).
For a broad range of discussions about authorship and other introductory matters in Hebrews see:
- J. Dwight Pentecost and Ken Durham, Faith That Endures : A Practical Commentary on the Book of Hebrews, Rev. ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2000).
- Robert Gromacki, Stand Bold in Grace: An Exposition of Hebrews, The Gromacki Expository Series (The Woodlands, TX: Kress Christian Publications, 2002).
- F. F. Bruce, The Epistle to the Hebrews, Rev. ed., The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990).
- Paul Ellingworth, The Epistle to the Hebrews: A Commentary on the Greek Text, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press, 1993).
- William L. Lane, Hebrews 1–8, vol. 47A, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1991).
V. Study Questions
- Again, there are custom study questions for each segment of the 10 segments to this course.
- Study questions do not need to be answered by the student. These are only listed to assist students in preparing for the Unit Exams or for students to test their own knowledge and recall.
Below is a sample of the Study Questions for this course,
The Messianic Jewish Epistles Part One: The Book of Hebrews, Segment #1:
Segment #1 Study Questions
Study Questions from the Fruchtenbaum MJE Reading and the Lecture
- Of the twenty-one epistles in the New Testament, which ones were written to Jewish believers dealing with the needs of Jewish believers and specific issues that Jewish believers faced?
- The first century Messianic Jewish community was faced with two major problems. What were they?
- Define the term Diaspora.
- Why was the book of Hebrews written?
- What do we know about the author of the book of Hebrews?
- What do we know about the readers?
- How do we know that the readers knew the author?
- According to Dr. Fruchtenbaum, the recipients of the book of Hebrews were in what area?
- What clues help us to determine the approximate date of the writing of the book of Hebrews?
- The author of Hebrews builds his case on a number of theological examples from the Old Testament. What is the main purpose in doing this, in terms of application for the readers?
- According to the Dwight Pentecost quote in the text, “The writer suggests that his generation could enter into discipline through disobedience and could forfeit the blessings as their forefathers had done.” What is the principle Pentecost brings out in this?
- What are the examples taken from the Old Testament that the author uses to support his argument?
- What are some of the main insights we can learn from n the Randall Gleason quote?
- According to Dr. Fruchtenbaum, what is the key passage needed to understand the key issue in the Book of Hebrew? Why?
- What do we know about the Jewish believers to whom the author was writing?
- The overall context of Hebrews is dealing with Jewish believers who were undergoing tremendous, severe persecution. Because of this persecution, what were they seriously considering?
- For Jews of that day, as well as for Jews today, the complete break from Judaism comes by what event?
- What do the five warning passages in Hebrews essential deal with?
- In terms of the author’s methodology, the contrast he makes is between that which is good and that which is better. Biblical Judaism was good, but Messiah is far better. As the author expounds on the good and the better, he takes the three main pillars of the Judaism of that day. What were these pillars?
- The five warnings in the book of Hebrews cause some people to think that a believer can lose his salvation. This belief is due to a failure to realize that the usage of certain Jewish terms. What are those terms?
- What are the five key words in this book of Hebrews? Define each.
- There are two main divisions to the book. What are they?
- What is the theme of the book of Hebrews?
Study Questions from Allen NAC Reading
- What do we learn about the form of this book from the postscript in 13:22–25?
- What is the current consensus about the salutation or introduction to this letter?
- What do the many examples of paranomasia tell us about the translation of this book?
- In light of the overall evidence, it seems moot to argue over whether Hebrews is an epistle or a sermon. Why? Do you agree or disagree? Why?
- Who does Allen propose wrote the book? When was it written and where does he argue it was written? Do you agree or disagree? Explain.
- What arguments does Dr. Allen make to support his contention that Luke was a Jew? Do you agree or disagree? Why? If you have taken the Ariel online courses on the Life of Yeshua, do you recall Dr. Fruchtenbaum’s view on this? Explain.
- What support does Allen provide to show that Luke was the author of Hebrews?
- Three major theories regarding the location of the recipients have been suggested. Which one does Allen support? Why?
- What is MacArthur’s view as to the who the recipients of Hebrews were? Does Allen agree or disagree? Why?
- With regard to the identity of the recipients, a promising solution to the question was first offered in 1923 by J. V. Brown. Summarize his view. How is Acts 6:7 related? Who was Spicq and what was his view on this matter of recipients of the book of Hebrews?
- Did J. V. Brown feel Paul was involved in the writing? Explain.
- The admonition of Hebrews 6:1-6 may have been given to counter what pressure? What additional light does Josephus shed on this?
- The author of Hebrews quotes from the Psalms 18 times. A good case can be made for understanding Ps 110:1, 4 as the key text that the author interpreted in the epistle. G. B. Caird’s ground-breaking work identified four key Old Testament passages as the work’s core quotations. List the passages.
- Another important point is the author’s exclusive use of the LXX rather than the Hebrew text. What does LXX mean?
- Jeremiah 31:33 is quoted in Heb 10:15 with the citation formula, “The Holy Spirit also testifies to us.” What can we learn about the (human) author from this?
- In the latter half of the twentieth century, scholars began to take note of the significance of the hortatory sections of Hebrews in the overall structure. F. F. Bruce agreed with this assessment. What passage, in his view was the climax of Hebrews?
- In terms of structure, chapters 12 and 13 have numerous command forms (imperatives and hortatory subjunctives in Greek) identifying the majority of these paragraphs as hortatory in nature. This word, “hortatory” recurs often in Allen’s book. Look up the word in a dictionary and define it.
VI. Spiritual Growth: Implications and Applications
- There is a unique Spiritual Growth Implications and Applications feature for each Segment of the 10 Segments.
- These are an important part of our courses because they help students to internalize application points which foster growth in character formation.
- There are a variety of approaches used with vary with each Segment. Sometimes this involves journaling, praying through a passage of Scripture, insights on Jewish outreach and discipleship, a little additional reading (we provide the content at no extra cost), and sometimes some Bible memorization/meditation on short passages. Students taking our courses for credit are required to complete the Spiritual Growth assignments, however students who are auditing our courses do not need to do these assignments.
- When a written assignment is required, such as a journal or prayer, students must complete these, but they are not turned-in for grading or credit. We expect students to complete these assignments, using the honor system.
- For student journal assignments you can use a Word doc on your computer or a handwritten journal or notebook; whichever you prefer is fine (again these will not be collected, turned-in or graded).
- However, when there is a Bible memory passage that is assigned and also required, then the Bible memory passage will be included in the Unit Exam. Bible memory verses for this course are based on the NASB (1995) version of the Bible; per Dr. Fruchtenbaum’s instructions. He uses the ASV in teaching but requested that the NASB be used for the Bible memory passages for this course.
Here is an example from Segment #1 of The Messianic Jewish Epistles, Part One
Segment #1 Spiritual Growth: Implications and Applications Assignment*
From your reading in this segment, you learned that the writer of the book of Hebrews sought to warn “thereaders against going back into Judaism. The Judaism warned against included the Judaism of the Levitical system, Rabbinic Judaism, and the Judaism that rejected the Messiahship of Jesus” (Fruchtenbaum, p. 12). Many Jewish believers in Yeshua today still face intense pressure to cease believing in Yeshua. In fact, there are organized efforts to deprogram Jewish believers. One of these organizations, “Jews for Judaism,” was founded in 1985 by Rabbi Bentzion Kravitz, who, according to their website, is an authority on Judaism and Christian polemics.
The spiritual growth assignment for this segment is to read through the short pamphlet entitled, “7 Answers to Religious Coercion: Cults and Deceptive Missionaries;” this was written and is used by Jews for Judaism in an effort to turn Jewish believers away from their faith in Yeshua. To spark your interest in reading this, here is a short except from it (it is set-up in a question and answer format):
Question: Did you know that you can be Jewish and Christian at the same time?
Answer: A ‘Jew for Jesus’ is as absurd as a ‘Christian for Buddha’ and as ridiculous as ‘kosher pork.’ The fact that some of the first Christians were Jews didn’t make them right. Their movement died out within three centuries as the church became a Gentile institution.”
Here is the link to this free pamphlet, which is a download pdf file:
https://jewsforjudaism.org/knowledge/documents/7-answers-to-religious-coercion
Note: This portion of the curriculum for the course, entitled “Spiritual Growth: Implications and Applications Assignment” is a requirement. Therefore, students must read this portion for each segment and complete any work that is assigned. Sometimes this involves Bible memorization/meditation passages, other times it may require additional reading and journaling. On rare occasions there may be optional assignments, but this will be stated, otherwise, assume that all work in this part of the curriculum is required.
The purposes of this portion of the curriculum are threefold:
- To help students be discerning thinkers, to evaluate biblical interpretations in light of accurate exegesis and sound doctrine (1 Thess. 5:21-23; 2 Tim. 2:15; Titus 2:1)
- To internalize Scriptures and aspects of the study that can foster character formation towards Christlikeness as students grow in their knowledge of God, of themselves, and of the Scriptures (Romans 12:1-2; 2 Peter 3:18; James 1:22).
- To keep an emphasis on Messianic Jewish implications and applications (e.g. Jewish evangelism and discipleship, living a Messianic Jewish life that is well-pleasing to the Lord).
VII. Course Exams
- There are no mid-term or final exams, no term papers, no major projects, presentations, or quizzes.
- There are, however Unit Exams for all of our courses. Unit Exams are open-note, open-book, and open-Bible.
- The exams are based on multiple-choice, true-false, and fill-in-the-blank type of questions.
- The exams are on the website as well, graded automatically. Take as long as you need to complete the exams and exams can be taken as many times as needed.
- Students can save answers and close the exam and finish at a later time if desired. Students taking courses for credit are required to take the exams but students who audit our courses can skip or by-pass all the exams.
- This course, This course, The Messianic Jewish Epistles, Part One, is comprised of three Unit Exams. Each Unit Exam is to be completed after the required reading and assignments in the preceding Segments.
The typical Unit Exam has about 100 questions (some have more some less).
There are only three exams for this course, the exams have more questions, between 150-200.
Segment #1 Exam Questions from Fruchtenbaum, MJC and Lecture
- Of the twenty-one epistles in the New Testament, ____ were written to Jewish believers dealing with the needs of Jewish believers and specific issues that Jewish believers faced. There are things in these epistles applicable to all believers, but some are true only of Jewish believers.
- 3
- 5
- 6
- 7
- These epistles are:
- Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Hebrews, 1-2 Peter
- Hebrews, James, I & II Peter, and Jude
- The first century Messianic Jewish community was faced with two major problems: persecution and ______.
- Anti-Semitism
- Legalism (Pharisaic influences)
- False doctrine
- Lack of zeal (spiritual apathy)
- The term Diaspora is a technical term for:
- Gentiles who sought to adopt Jewish names and customs
- Jews and Gentiles who believed in Yeshua and sought to keep the law of Moses
- Jews who were born in the land of Israel and were living there
- Jews who live outside the Land of Israel
- To deal with persecution in the Diaspora, the book of Hebrews was written.
- True
- False
- The book of Hebrews was written by someone in the Diaspora to Jewish believers in the land.
- True
- False
- Dr. Fruchtenbaum believes that the author of Hebrews was Paul or Priscilla.
- True
- False
- What things do we know about the author?
- He was Jewish
- He was a believer in Yeshua
- He was a second-generation Jewish believer
- He was an eyewitness of the ministry of Yeshua
- A, B. and C only
- What do we know about the readers?
- They were third or fourth generation believers
- They were Gentile believers
- They were spiritually mature but lacked confidence
- A and C only
- None of the above
- How do we know that the readers knew the author?
- There is no indication in the text at all that they knew the author
- Hebrews 13:19 and 13:23 indicate they knew the author
- According to Dr. Fruchtenbaum, the recipients of the book of Hebrews were those in:
- Jerusalem
- Rome
- The churches of Judea
- Syrian Antioch
- All the following helps us to determine the approximate date of the writing of the book of Hebrews except:
- The discussion of the Judah Maccabee and the year AD 60
- Clement of Rome’s letter in AD 96
- The year Paul led Timothy to the Lord AD 50
- The discussion of the sacrificial system using the present tense
- The author of Hebrews builds his case on a number of theological examples from the Old Testament. What is the main purpose in doing this, in terms of application for the readers?
- The application to the readers is that they, too, are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation
- The application to the readers is that they, too, are in danger of making an irrevocable decision
- According to the Dwight Pentecost quote in the text, “The writer suggests that his generation could enter into discipline through disobedience and could forfeit the blessings as their forefathers had done. The principle is an ongoing truth: unbelief that leads to disobedience will bring discipline. The result is not loss of _____ but loss of _____.
- Blessing, position
- Position, blessing
- Another key example taken from the Old Testament is________. The author builds a large theological comparison based on the limited information about ________as recorded in Genesis 14:18–20 and the prophecy found in Psalm 110:4 that the Messiah will be a priest after the Order of _________.
- Aaron
- Levi
- Melchizedek
- Zadok
- Gleason, In the Randall Gleason quote we learn:
- The author’s use of the Old Testament in the Epistle to the Hebrews is indispensable to understanding the warning in Hebrews 6:4–8
- The author’s allusions to Kadesh-barnea show that the sin of “falling away” refers to a final decision
to return to Judaism and to remain in a state of spiritual retrogression - In an age of spiritual apathy and moral compromise within the church, and often among its leadership, this passage delivers a severe warning to all who take their commitment to Christ lightly
- All the above
Segment #1 Questions from Allen NAC Reading
- It is clear from the postscript in 13:22–25 that Hebrews is _______, yet it does not have the usual
formulaic prescript. In fact, it begins like ______, reads like a _____ but concludes like ______ .- A sermon, an epistle, an epistle, sermon
- An epistle, sermon, sermon, an epistle
- The current consensus is that there was a salutation or introduction to this letter but it was lost.
- True
- False
- The many examples of paranomasia (play on words, as in Heb 5:8) and other stylistic devices make it clear that Hebrews:
- Was translated from Hebrew
- Was translated from Aramaic
- Was not a translation of a Hebrew original
- Was written in Latin and then Greek
- In light of the overall evidence, it seems moot to argue over whether Hebrews is an epistle or a sermon. It is both. The epistolary elements in Heb 13 “could well have been original and intentional, for the ‘sermon’ could well have been delivered (read aloud) as a ‘letter.’
- True
- False
- Allen proposed that ____ wrote Hebrews from ______after the death of _____ and before the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.
- Paul, Jerusalem, Herod
- Apollos, Rome, Nero
- Barnabas, Alexandria, Clement
- Luke, Rome, Paul
VIII. Grading
- Grades on Unit Exams are calculated into percentages (100% = perfect score), regardless of the number of questions on an exam.
- The final grade is automatically calculated, also using percentages, based on all of the combined totals from all ten Unit Exams.
Letter Grade | Percentage |
---|---|
A+ | 97%+ |
A | 93%-96% |
A- | 90%-92% |
B+ | 87%-89% |
B | 83%-86% |
B- | 80%-82% |
C+ | 77%-79% |
C | 73%-76% |
C- | 70%-72% |
D+ | 67%-69% |
D | 63%-66% |
D- | 60%-62% |
F | 0%-59% |
IX. Communication and Contact Information
- Because our courses are pre-recorded, self-paced, with open-enrollment, there is no direct personal one-on-one student-to-teacher or teacher-to-student communication.
- If you have customer service type of questions related to the online courses, please click on the “Contact Us” link on the Ariel Online Courses homepage or you can email the Director of Online Studies at: Administrator@ArielCourses.com
- Please do not send questions related to course content to the course instructor or professor. Please do not call the Ariel home office regarding the Ariel Online Courses. Instead, please use the “Contact Us” link on the Ariel Online Courses homepage or the email: Administrator@ArielCourses.com
- We will promptly respond to your questions, generally within 48 hours (except on weekends or holidays). All communication with Ariel Online Courses will be through email, there is no telephone customer service for matters pertaining to Ariel Online Courses.
X. Course Records
- If you complete the “My Profile” section on the Ariel Online Courses homepage, we can keep an official record for your progress including the courses you complete and your grades. Please sure to complete this information.
- “My Profile”
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