New Testament · Sermon in letter form

The Letter to the Hebrews: Author, Context and Complete Study

Hebrews is a sermon sent as a letter to weary believers tempted to turn back. It shows that Jesus, the Son of God, is greater than the angels, Moses and the priests of the old covenant, and that his once-for-all sacrifice calls his people to hold fast with faith and endurance.

Updated on November 14, 2026

What is Hebrews about?

Hebrews shows that Jesus Christ is God's final and greatest word to humanity (Hebrews 1:1-2). The author compares Jesus with the angels, with Moses and with the high priests of Israel and shows that he surpasses them all: he is the eternal Son, the faithful high priest in the order of Melchizedek and the mediator of the new covenant promised by Jeremiah, whose single sacrifice takes away sins for good (8:6-13; 10:10-14). Between these arguments come urgent calls: do not drift away, hold fast, draw near to God and run the race with endurance, looking to Jesus (2:1; 4:14-16; 10:19-25; 12:1-2).

Author: Unknown: the text never names its author. Early Eastern tradition linked it to Paul, and Barnabas, Apollos and Luke have also been proposed. The writer knew Timothy (Hebrews 13:23).
Date: Probably in the AD 60s, before the temple fell in AD 70; certainly before c. AD 96, when Clement of Rome echoes it.
First readers: Believers, most likely Jewish Christians, who had once endured persecution bravely but were now weary and tempted to drift away from Christ and fall back on the old covenant (Hebrews 10:32-39).
Genre: Sermon in letter form
Chapters: 13 chapters
Key verse: Hebrews 4:14-16

Historical context

Hebrews was written to second-generation believers: the author and his readers had received the message of salvation from those who had heard the Lord himself (Hebrews 2:3). Soon after their conversion they had suffered public insults and the confiscation of their property, had stood by those in prison and had accepted it all with joy (10:32-34). They had not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood (12:4). Now some were skipping the meetings of the church (10:25), had grown sluggish in learning (5:11-12) and were in danger of drifting away and returning to the familiar security of the old covenant.

The letter describes the priests and sacrifices of the law as still being offered (8:4; 10:1-3, 11) and never mentions the destruction of the temple by the Romans in AD 70, an event that would have strengthened its argument that the old system was about to vanish (8:13). For that reason most date it in the 60s. If the readers lived in Rome, as the greeting from those from Italy may suggest (13:24), their earlier troubles could be the expulsion of the Jews under Claudius around AD 49, and the threat ahead the persecution under Nero after AD 64. Others think of believers in Jerusalem or elsewhere in the eastern Mediterranean. The news of Timothy's release (13:23) places the author in the circle of Paul's coworkers.

Geographical context

Hebrews names very few places. The only clue to where it was written or sent is the greeting from those from Italy (13:24), which can mean Italians away from home greeting friends back in Italy, or believers in Italy greeting a church elsewhere. Rome and Jerusalem are the most common proposals for the readers' home.

The geography that matters most in the book is that of Israel's story and worship: the wilderness where a generation fell because of unbelief (3:16-19), the tabernacle with its Holy Place and Most Holy Place (9:1-7), the mountain of the law with its fire, darkness and trumpet (12:18-21), and Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, to which believers now come by faith (12:22-24). Salem, Egypt, the Red Sea and Jericho appear in the stories of Melchizedek and of the heroes of faith (7:1-2; 11:26-30). Jesus suffered outside the gate of Jerusalem, and believers are called to go to him outside the camp, seeking the city that is to come (13:12-14).

Why does the book of Hebrews exist?

Hebrews calls itself a word of exhortation (13:22), and everything in it serves that goal. Its readers were tired. Faith in an unseen, exalted Christ had cost them dearly, while the priesthood and sacrifices of their heritage were visible and respected. The author does not simply command them to persevere. He shows them who Jesus is: the Son through whom God made the world and spoke his final word, the brother who shared their flesh and was tested as they are, and the high priest who entered God's presence with his own blood and now intercedes for them (1:1-3; 2:14-18; 7:25; 9:11-12). Turning back from him would mean trading the reality for its shadow (8:5; 10:1).

Teaching and exhortation alternate throughout. Each argument leads to a warning or an encouragement, from the call not to drift away (2:1-4) to the plea not to refuse the one who speaks from heaven (12:25). For the whole church, Hebrews is the New Testament's great explanation of how the tabernacle, the priesthood and the sacrifices of the Old Testament are fulfilled in Christ, and one of its most powerful calls to persevering faith.

Outline of Hebrews

Chapters 1-2
The Son, greater than the angels
God has spoken his final word in his Son, who made purification for sins and sat down at God's right hand. A chain of Old Testament texts shows the Son's superiority to the angels; after a first warning not to drift away, the author explains that the Son became human to defeat death and serve as a merciful high priest.
- 1
- 2
Chapters 3-4
Greater than Moses, and the rest that remains
Moses was faithful as a servant in God's house; Jesus is faithful as the Son over it. Using Psalm 95, the author warns that the wilderness generation did not enter God's rest because of unbelief and urges the readers to enter the Sabbath rest that remains, under the searching word of God.
- 3
- 4
Chapters 5-7
A priest in the order of Melchizedek
Jesus was appointed high priest by God and learned obedience through suffering. After rebuking the readers' immaturity and warning against falling away, the author anchors their hope in God's oath and shows that Melchizedek, greater than Levi, foreshadows the permanent priesthood of Jesus.
- 5
- 6
- 7
Chapters 8-10
The better covenant and the perfect sacrifice
Jesus serves in the true sanctuary as mediator of the new covenant promised in Jeremiah 31. Unlike the yearly sacrifices of the tabernacle, he offered himself once for all, securing eternal redemption; so the readers must draw near, hold fast and not shrink back.
- 8
- 9
- 10
Chapter 11
The heroes of faith
Faith is confidence in what God has promised and conviction about what cannot yet be seen. From Abel, Enoch and Noah to Abraham, Moses, Rahab and many others, the chapter presents people who trusted God, endured and looked ahead to a better country.
- 11
Chapters 12-13
Running the race as God's people
Surrounded by these witnesses, believers run with endurance, looking to Jesus, and accept God's discipline as his children. They have come not to the terrifying mountain of the law but to Mount Zion, so they love one another, show hospitality, honor marriage, follow their leaders and offer a sacrifice of praise.
- 12
- 13

Famous passages in Hebrews

Hebrews 1:1-4
God's final word in his Son
The book opens without a greeting, with a single majestic sentence in Greek. God spoke in many ways through the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken by his Son, heir of all things and agent of creation. The Son radiates God's glory, bears the exact imprint of his nature, sustains the universe, made purification for sins and sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
Study Hebrews 1 →
Hebrews 4:12-13
The living and active word of God
God's word is alive and at work, sharper than any double-edged sword, reaching the deepest parts of a person and judging the thoughts and intentions of the heart; nothing is hidden from God's eyes. In context the verses close the warning drawn from Psalm 95: God's voice still speaks today, and it exposes unbelief.
Study Hebrews 4 →
Hebrews 4:14-16
A high priest who sympathizes
Because Jesus is a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, believers can hold fast their confession. He understands our weaknesses, since he was tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. So they can approach the throne of grace with confidence to receive mercy and find help at the moment they need it.
Study Hebrews 4 →
Hebrews 10:19-25
Draw near and keep meeting together
Through the blood of Jesus believers can enter God's presence by a new and living way opened through the curtain, that is, his flesh. Three calls follow: draw near with a sincere heart, hold fast the hope without wavering, and spur one another on to love and good works, not abandoning the gatherings of the church, as some were doing.
Study Hebrews 10 →
Hebrews 11:1-6
What faith is
Faith is being sure of what we hope for and convinced of realities we do not see. By faith we understand that God created the universe by his word, and by faith Abel and Enoch pleased God. Verse 6 adds that without faith no one can please him, for whoever comes to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Study Hebrews 11 →
Hebrews 12:1-3
Run the race looking to Jesus
The heroes of chapter 11 surround believers like a great cloud of witnesses, so they must throw off every weight and the sin that clings so easily and run with endurance, eyes fixed on Jesus, who begins and completes their faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and now sits at God's right hand.
Study Hebrews 12 →
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ, the same forever
In the middle of practical instructions, the author reminds the readers that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Their first leaders, whose faith they are to imitate, had probably died, but the Lord they preached has not changed, so believers must not be carried away by strange teachings. It is one of the most quoted verses of the letter.
Study Hebrews 13 →

Main themes

The supremacy of Christ: Jesus is better than the angels, than Moses, than Aaron's priesthood and than the sacrifices of the law. The word better runs through the letter: a better hope, a better covenant, better promises, better sacrifices and a better country (7:19, 22; 8:6; 9:23; 11:16).
Jesus our high priest: Hebrews is the only New Testament book that calls Jesus high priest. Appointed by God in the order of Melchizedek, he shares our humanity, offered himself without blemish, lives forever to intercede and opens the way into God's very presence (2:17; 5:5-10; 7:24-25; 9:14).
The new covenant: Through Jeremiah God promised a covenant that would write his law on hearts and remember sins no more. Jesus mediates it with his own blood, so the old covenant, with its tabernacle and repeated sacrifices, is revealed as a shadow of the good things to come (8:6-13; 9:15; 10:1, 16-18).
Faith and endurance: Faith in Hebrews looks forward: it trusts God's promises when their fulfillment cannot yet be seen and keeps going under pressure. The heroes of chapter 11 and, above all, Jesus, who endured the cross, show what it means not to shrink back (10:36-39; 11:13-16; 12:1-3).
Warning and assurance: Five warning passages urge the readers not to drift, harden their hearts, fall away, sin deliberately or refuse God's voice (2:1-4; 3:7-4:13; 5:11-6:12; 10:26-31; 12:25-29). Beside them stand strong assurances: God's oath, the anchor of hope and Christ's ongoing intercession (6:17-20; 7:25).
Pilgrims seeking a city: Like Abraham, believers live as strangers and exiles on earth, looking for the city whose architect and builder is God. They already belong to the heavenly Jerusalem and to a kingdom that cannot be shaken, so they can go to Jesus outside the camp and bear his disgrace (11:10, 13-16; 12:22, 28; 13:13-14).

Main characters

Jesus, the Son and high priest: The center of the letter: the Son who radiates God's glory, was made lower than the angels for a little while, was tested as we are, was appointed priest forever and sat down at God's right hand after making purification for sins (1:3; 2:9; 4:15; 5:6).
The author: An unnamed preacher with polished Greek, a deep knowledge of the Old Testament in its Greek translation and a pastor's heart. He knows his readers, asks for their prayers and hopes to visit them soon with Timothy (13:18-19, 23).
Melchizedek: King of Salem and priest of God Most High, who blessed Abraham and received a tenth from him (Genesis 14:18-20). Psalm 110:4 promised a priest forever in his order, and Hebrews 7 shows how this mysterious figure foreshadows Jesus.
Moses: Faithful as a servant in all God's house, he received the pattern of the tabernacle and led Israel out of Egypt. Hebrews honors his faith while showing that Jesus, as the Son, is worthy of greater glory (3:1-6; 8:5; 11:23-29).
Abraham: He left home without knowing where he was going, lived in tents as a stranger in the promised land and offered Isaac, reasoning that God could raise the dead. God's oath to him anchors the believer's hope (6:13-20; 11:8-19).
The wilderness generation: The Israelites who left Egypt with Moses but rebelled and died in the wilderness. Through Psalm 95 they become the great warning of the letter: hearing God's voice is not enough without faith (3:7-19).
Esau: Jacob's brother, who sold his birthright for a single meal and later could not undo the loss, though he sought the blessing with tears. He is a warning against trading lasting blessings for momentary relief (12:16-17).
Timothy: Paul's coworker, mentioned in the closing lines: he had been released, apparently from prison, and the author hoped to visit the readers with him (13:23). He is the only believer of the author's own day named in the letter.
The leaders: They appear three times in chapter 13: former leaders who spoke God's word and whose faith the readers should imitate, and present leaders who keep watch over their souls and should be obeyed and greeted (13:7, 17, 24).

In-depth study of Hebrews

Introduction

Hebrews is one of the most profound books of the New Testament and one of the most mysterious. We do not know who wrote it, exactly whom it was sent to or from where. Yet few books have done more to help Christians see how the Old Testament fits together in Christ. Without Hebrews we would understand far less about the meaning of the tabernacle, the priesthood and the sacrifices, and we would not have the great gallery of faith in chapter 11.

It was written to believers who were tired. They had started well and suffered for it, but the cost of following an unseen Lord had worn them down, and the older, visible forms of worship pulled at them. The author answers by lifting their eyes to Jesus: who he is, what he has done and where he is now. His conclusion is simple: do not turn back from such a Savior.

Who wrote Hebrews and when?

An anonymous author

Unlike Paul's letters, Hebrews does not begin by naming its author or its readers. The writer counts himself among those who received the gospel from eyewitnesses (2:3), something Paul insisted was not true of him (Galatians 1:11-12). His Greek is the most polished in the New Testament, his style differs from Paul's, and he quotes the Old Testament from its Greek translation, the Septuagint.

The main proposals

Paul. Christians in Alexandria and the East linked Hebrews with Paul from early on. Clement of Alexandria suggested that Paul wrote it in Hebrew and Luke translated it into Greek.
Barnabas. Tertullian attributed it to Barnabas, a Levite from Cyprus whose nickname meant son of encouragement (Acts 4:36), a fitting author for a word of exhortation.
Apollos. Luther suggested Apollos, an eloquent Jewish believer from Alexandria who was powerful in the Scriptures (Acts 18:24).
Others. Luke, Silas, Clement of Rome and Priscilla have also been named.

In the third century Origen wrote that the thoughts were the apostle's but the wording belonged to someone else, and that only God knows who actually wrote the letter. Its authority never depended on a name: the church received it because of its content and its early, wide use.

Dating the letter

The mention of Timothy's release (13:23) places the author within the first Christian generation. The writer describes the service of the priests as still going on (8:4; 10:1-3, 11) and argues that the old covenant is about to disappear (8:13), without mentioning the destruction of the temple, so most scholars date the letter before AD 70, often in the mid-60s. Because Hebrews speaks of the tabernacle rather than the temple, some think its present tenses describe the law as a written institution and allow a later date, in the 80s. Clement of Rome echoes Hebrews in a letter written around AD 96, which sets the latest possible date.

Literary style and structure

A sermon on paper

Hebrews begins like a speech, not a letter, and the author speaks of what he is saying rather than writing (2:5; 5:11; 8:1; 9:5; 11:32). He calls his work a word of exhortation (13:22), the same expression used when Paul was invited to preach in the synagogue of Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:15). Only the closing verses take the form of a letter.

Exposition and exhortation

The author alternates teaching and application. Each section explains an Old Testament text, often a psalm, and then turns to the readers with a let us (4:1, 11, 14, 16; 10:22-24; 12:1). The key texts are Psalm 110, which runs through the whole argument (1:3, 13; 5:6; 7:17; 10:12-13; 12:2), Psalm 8 (2:6-8), Psalm 95 (3:7-11), Jeremiah 31:31-34 (8:8-12), Psalm 40 (10:5-7) and Habakkuk 2:3-4 (10:37-38).

From the lesser to the greater

A favorite argument moves from the lesser to the greater: if disobeying the message delivered through angels brought punishment, how much more will neglecting the salvation announced by the Lord (2:2-3); if the blood of animals made people outwardly clean, how much more will the blood of Christ cleanse the conscience (9:13-14). Vivid images such as the anchor and the race make Hebrews a masterpiece of ancient preaching.

The flow of the book

The Son, superior to the angels (1:1-2:18).
Jesus, superior to Moses, and the promised rest (3:1-4:13).
Jesus, high priest in the order of Melchizedek (4:14-7:28).
The better covenant, sanctuary and sacrifice (8:1-10:18).
Draw near, hold fast and endure by faith (10:19-12:29).
Life together and final greetings (13:1-25).

Hebrews in the story of the Bible

Hebrews reads the Old Testament as a story that was waiting for its ending. Psalm 95 still says today, which shows that the rest promised to Israel was not exhausted when Joshua led the people into the land (4:7-9). Psalm 110:4 promised a priest of a different order, which shows that the priesthood of Levi was not God's final word (7:11). Jeremiah 31 announced a new covenant, which implies that the first one was growing old (8:13).

The book walks through the whole Old Testament: creation and the seventh day (4:3-4), Abel and Cain (11:4; 12:24), Enoch and Noah (11:5-7), Abraham's meeting with Melchizedek and the offering of Isaac (7:1-10; 11:17-19), the exodus and the wilderness (3:16-19; 11:23-29), the tabernacle and the Day of Atonement described in Exodus and Leviticus (9:1-10), the giving of the law (12:18-21), the fall of Jericho, the judges, David and the prophets (11:30-38).

Within the New Testament, Hebrews shares with Paul the use of Habakkuk 2:4 on living by faith (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38). Its image of the way opened through the curtain (10:20) recalls the temple curtain torn from top to bottom when Jesus died (Mark 15:38).

Hebrews and Jesus Christ

No New Testament book holds together more strongly the deity and the humanity of Jesus. He is the Son through whom God created the world and who sustains all things by his powerful word (1:2-3). The Father addresses him as God, whose throne lasts forever (1:8, citing Psalm 45:6), and as the Lord who laid the foundations of the earth (1:10, citing Psalm 102:25). He is the same yesterday, today and forever (13:8).

At the same time, he shared our flesh and blood, became like his brothers in every way, was tempted, prayed with loud cries and tears and learned obedience through what he suffered (2:14-17; 4:15; 5:7-8). He tasted death for everyone (2:9), and through death he broke the power of the devil, who held the power of death, and freed those who lived as slaves to the fear of dying (2:14-15).

As high priest, Jesus is both priest and sacrifice. He entered not a sanctuary made by human hands but heaven itself, with his own blood, once for all (9:11-12, 24-26). His sacrifice never needs repeating, so he sat down at God's right hand (10:11-14). He lives forever to intercede for those who come to God through him (7:25), and he will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who eagerly wait for him (9:28). He is the founder and perfecter of faith and the great shepherd of the sheep, brought back from the dead through the blood of the eternal covenant (12:2; 13:20).

Interpretive challenges

Can a believer fall away?

Hebrews 6:4-6 says it is impossible to restore to repentance those who have tasted the heavenly gift and then fallen away, and 10:26-31 says that for those who keep sinning deliberately after knowing the truth, no sacrifice for sins remains. Some read these passages as a real possibility of losing salvation through apostasy. Others hold that they describe people who shared in the life of the church without genuine faith, as the image of land that drinks the rain yet bears thorns suggests (6:7-8). Others see them as real warnings that God uses to keep true believers persevering. Every reading must also weigh the author's confidence about his readers (6:9-12) and his assurance that Christ saves completely those who draw near through him (7:25).

Was Melchizedek an appearance of Christ?

Hebrews says Melchizedek was without father, mother or genealogy, with no beginning of days or end of life (7:3). Some take this to mean that he was a heavenly being or the Son himself before the incarnation. Most interpreters read it as an argument from the silence of Genesis, which records none of these details, so that he becomes a fitting picture of the eternal Son. The same verse says he was made like the Son of God, which suggests two distinct figures.

Does Hebrews reject Israel's Scriptures?

Hebrews calls the first covenant obsolete (8:13) and the law a shadow (10:1), but its whole argument comes from the Old Testament itself. Jeremiah promised the new covenant, the psalms promised a better priest and a future rest, and God designed the tabernacle as a copy of heavenly realities (8:5). Hebrews honors Moses as faithful (3:2, 5) and celebrates Israel's heroes of faith. Its point is fulfillment in Christ, not contempt for the past.

The golden altar in 9:4

Hebrews links the golden altar of incense with the Most Holy Place, while Exodus sets the altar in front of the curtain (Exodus 30:6). The Greek word can mean either an altar or a censer, which is why some versions read golden censer. The phrase can also mean that the altar belonged to the inner room because of its role on the Day of Atonement, just as 1 Kings 6:22 describes the altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary of Solomon's temple.

Little-known facts

A one-sentence opening. Hebrews 1:1-4 is a single, carefully balanced sentence in Greek, one of the most elegant passages of the New Testament.
The longest quotation. The citation of Jeremiah 31:31-34 in Hebrews 8:8-12 is the longest quotation of the Old Testament in the New.
The only book that calls Jesus high priest. Other books speak of his sacrifice and intercession, but only Hebrews gives him this title, and it is also the only New Testament book that mentions Melchizedek.
A body prepared. When Hebrews quotes Psalm 40, the Messiah says that God prepared a body for him (10:5). This follows the Greek translation; the Hebrew text speaks instead of God opening the psalmist's ears (Psalm 40:6).
Next to Romans. In the oldest surviving manuscript of Paul's letters, a papyrus copied around AD 200 and known as P46, Hebrews comes right after Romans.
Sawn in two. Among the sufferings of the faithful, the author mentions some who were sawn in two (11:37). The Old Testament records no such death; an ancient Jewish tradition says that the prophet Isaiah was killed this way under King Manasseh.

How to study Hebrews

Read it as a sermon

Read Hebrews aloud in one sitting, which takes less than an hour. Then go section by section and notice how every block of teaching ends in an application. Mark each let us and each warning, and look for the word better.

Keep the Old Testament open

Before each section, read the passages it explains: Psalms 2, 8, 95 and 110 for chapters 1-7, Genesis 14 for chapter 7, Exodus 25-30 and Leviticus 16 for chapters 8-10, and the stories behind the names of chapter 11. Hebrews makes sense when you see the shadows it explains.

Questions to ask

What does this passage say about who Jesus is and what he is doing now?
Which Old Testament text or institution is being explained?
What danger are the readers facing, and what remedy does the author give?
What does the next let us ask of us?

Teaching it in a class or small group

A ten-week series works well: God's final word (1); the Son who became our brother (2); rest for God's people (3:1-4:13); our sympathetic high priest (4:14-5:10); growing up and holding on (5:11-6:20); Melchizedek (7); the new covenant (8); the once-for-all sacrifice (9:1-10:18); faith that endures (10:19-11:40); and running the race as God's people (12-13). Invite the group to memorize 4:14-16 or 12:1-2, and close each meeting by drawing near to God in prayer with the confidence the letter offers.

Hebrews chapter by chapter

Every chapter of Hebrews with a summary, key verses explained, themes, people, questions with answers and application.

Frequently asked questions about Hebrews

Who wrote the book of Hebrews?

No one knows for certain, because the letter never names its author. Christians in the East linked it to Paul from early on, while in the West his authorship was long doubted; Tertullian proposed Barnabas, Luther suggested Apollos, and others have named Luke, Silas or Priscilla. In the third century Origen concluded that only God knows who wrote it. The writer was a second-generation believer (Hebrews 2:3) who knew Timothy (13:23).

When was Hebrews written?

Most scholars date Hebrews in the AD 60s, before the Romans destroyed the temple in AD 70. The author speaks of priests and sacrifices as still being offered (8:4; 10:1-3, 11) and says the old covenant is about to vanish (8:13), yet never mentions the temple's fall. The latest possible date is about AD 96, because Clement of Rome echoes Hebrews in his letter to the Corinthians.

What is the main message of Hebrews?

Jesus is God's final word and the perfect high priest. He is greater than the angels, Moses and the Levitical priests, and his once-for-all sacrifice gives believers direct access to God under the new covenant. So they must not drift away or turn back, but hold fast to him with faith and endurance to the end (1:1-3; 4:14-16; 10:19-25; 12:1-2).

How many chapters does Hebrews have and how is it organized?

Hebrews has 13 chapters. Chapters 1-4 show the Son's superiority to the angels and to Moses; chapters 5-7 present his priesthood in the order of Melchizedek; chapters 8-10 explain the new covenant and his perfect sacrifice; chapter 11 celebrates the heroes of faith; and chapters 12-13 call believers to endurance, holiness and love. Warnings and encouragements are woven throughout.

Can a Christian lose salvation according to Hebrews 6:4-6?

The passage says it is impossible to restore to repentance those who were enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, shared in the Holy Spirit and then fell away. Some read it as a real loss of salvation through deliberate apostasy; others as describing people who experienced the life of the church without true faith; others as a serious warning God uses to keep his people persevering. The author adds that he is confident of better things for his readers (6:9).

Who was Melchizedek?

He was the king of Salem and priest of God Most High who met Abraham after a battle, blessed him and received a tenth of the spoils (Genesis 14:18-20; Hebrews 7:1-4). Psalm 110:4 speaks of a priest forever in his order. Hebrews notes that Genesis records no parents, genealogy, birth or death for him, so that he resembles the Son of God, whose priesthood never ends (7:3, 16-17).

Why is Hebrews 11 called the faith chapter?

Because it presents a long gallery of Old Testament believers who lived by faith, from Abel, Enoch and Noah to Abraham, Sarah, Moses and Rahab, and then Gideon, Samson, David, Samuel and the prophets. The phrase by faith introduces most of the examples. The chapter ends by saying they did not receive what was promised, because God had something better in view, so that only together with us would they be made perfect (11:39-40).

Is Hebrews a letter or a sermon?

Both. It opens like a sermon, with no greeting, and calls itself a word of exhortation (13:22), the same expression used for a synagogue sermon in Acts 13:15. Yet it ends like a letter, with personal news, a request for prayer, greetings and a blessing (13:18-25). Many think it is a sermon sent in writing to a congregation the author could not visit at the time.