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page detail from Hebrews, 1611 KJV Bible (Replica Edition) photo by jch
Sermon Series “Through the Bible,” № 80, Hebrews 11:1, 8-16
All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. –Hebrews 11:13a
The Letter to the Hebrews is somewhat mysterious, because it presents many questions that are difficult to answer.
· Who wrote Hebrews? Very early in the history of the Church, famous teachers like Clement, Tertullian, and Origen noted how different the style and theology of this book are from letters written by Paul. It’s been argued that Hebrews was written by one of Paul’s disciples, or some other new New Testament figure like Apollos or Priscilla. There’s no evidence in the text or outside it to determine for sure.
· When was Hebrews written? Some scholars, looking at the text’s description of ritual sacrifice, say that it must have been written before the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD. Others say that the author is writing a generation after the Temple’s destruction.
Perhaps the best general-purpose description we can give is that Hebrews was written sometime in the first 70 years of the Church’s existence by an apostle or someone very close to an apostle, directed to an audience of mainly Jewish Christians, and intended to teach and encourage them during a time of hardship and persecution.
In the final three chapters, the writer to the Hebrews most clearly reveals his or her apocalyptic theology. “Apocalyptic” is a strange-sounding adjective, isn’t it? The word is derived from a Greek construction that means “to reveal” or “to uncover.” It implies that something previously hidden now is becoming known. In Christian apocalyptic theology, that which has been hidden is the way history ends: in the stunning reversal of fortune in which the forces of evil are overcome by the forces of good, and everything is ordered as God intends. The thing that reveals or uncovers this glorious end to history is the appearance of God in Jesus Christ. When we talk about apocalyptic theology, we call to mind:
· The visions of John recorded in Revelation, or
· Jesus’ words about signs of the end recorded in the gospels, or
· The oracles of prophets like Daniel, or
· One of many dramatic films that offer a portrayal of end times.
But apocalyptic theology, I think, is broader than all these examples. Any theology inspired by an anticipated future is apocalyptic, and that includes the theology reflected in the Letter to the Hebrews.
In the author’s analysis of faith heroes, Abraham receives more attention than any other. While Abraham’s story is ancient and action-packed, an unchurched American might think it’s odd to consider Abraham a life example. Look at verse 8 of chapter 11, which I read for you: “…he set out, not knowing where he was going.”
· Who goes on a long journey without knowing where he is going?
· What kind of leadership can we expect from that sort of person?
· What can be great about someone who gropes his way through an unknown wilderness?
The answers to these questions become clearer when we are familiar with apocalyptic theology, and the perspective of those who embrace it. What makes Abraham a hero of faith is not his knowledge of the Promised Land or the path to it, but rather his trust that God knows the way. The challenge the text poses to us is this: Can we trust more fully in the goodness of God as we are drawn into the future? Can we believe God reveals purpose with the passing of time?
My former preaching professor Tom Long warns against trying to grasp too tightly the details of the future toward which God is drawing us. He reminds his readers about the 1939 World’s Fair, with its catchphrase, “the world of tomorrow.” There was an exhibit featuring a movie theater “smell-o-vision” that never caught on. A dishwashing contest pitted Mrs. Drudge with her dishpan hands against Mrs. Modern and her electric dishwasher, with no thought about the feminist generation already born who would challenge the notion that kitchen chores were women’s work. General Motors envisioned a slumless city with congestion-free highways that would require more and more modern cars, never imagining the way those highways would divide and impoverish neigborhoods, and the cars contribute to congestion and pollution never seen previously. All this and more, with no ability to predict the great catastrophes that soon would arrive in a second world war.
About the same time Long’s article appeared, I heard him speak at the Festival of Homiletics about church predictions that turned out to be dead wrong. He told the story of Albert Winn, former president of Louisville Seminary, who gave a closing address at a church futuring conference in the 1970s.
Years later, he revisited the conference papers, and realized he was the only one who was right. After presentations full of confident predictions, here’s what he said, “I am a theologian. I have no idea what the future holds. I know only that it will be held in the hands of God.”[1]
That’s the faith Abraham modeled; it’s the message of our texts from Hebrews and Genesis; it’s the essence of apocalyptic theology. And so may we anticipate the future, tuning our ears to the call of God to live for a tomorrow of justice, freedom, and peace. We don’t know, we cannot know, exactly what the future holds. Practicing Christian faith must be focused on trusting the One who knows us, who holds us in the palm of his hand.
NOTES
[1] Personal Notes on presentation by Thomas G. Long, Festival of Homiletics, First Baptist Church, Nashville, May 18, 2010, and Thomas G. Long, “Future Fatique,” The Christian Century, 27 June 2012, p. 35.
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